14 Questions for Obama and McCain

Science Debate 2008 continues to elbow its way into public view. But will the presidential candidates notice? A survey suggests that the American public would certainly like them to pay attention. After all, a science debate would necessarily deal with some of the most pressing matters of human existence – like climate change, innovation, genetics and ocean health. Perhaps, then, some of the press corps following the campaigns would finally get the hint. To make matters very simple indeed, the organizers of the Science Debate 2008 concept – working with major science organizations – now have produced a distilled list of 14 questions that any candidate running for president should be prepared to answer. The full list includes:

• What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science- and technology-driven 21st century?
• Given that the next Congress will likely face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?
• In an era of constant and rapid international travel, what steps should the United States take to protect our population from global pandemics or deliberate biological attacks?

Another interesting read: the BBC report on the UK’s new Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation. “Who Owns Science?” is the subject of the institute’s first conference this Saturday. And kudos to the Los Angeles Times for its story on the environmental threat posed by NF3, a synthetic chemical that was supposed to be a more environmentally friendly substitute for perfluorocarbons, once used widely to clean the vacuum chambers of the semiconductor industry. Turns out that NF3 is a potent greenhouse gas used in the manufacture of flat screen TVs. You know the punch line. As flat screen TVs have become more popular, there has been a rise in the amount of NF3 being vented into the atmosphere. This Friday’s Science Café features the work of neuroscientist Krystof Bankiewicz.