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VOL.451 NO.7179 DATED 07 FEBRUARY 2008
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Science debate: The case against
The idea of having a ‘science debate’ between the US presidential candidates is gaining more momentum every day. But David Goldston, a columnist for Nature, former chief of staff for the House Science Committee and a visiting lecturer in science policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, argues that advocates are not asking the right questions.
The debate format may not be useful in raising the profile of science, and trying to categorize science issues as policy questions could backfire, he argues. Scientists might be better served by spending their time working with their representatives on Capitol Hill rather than trying to get candidates together for a debate. Without further analysis, Goldston writes, the idea that a debate will help the cause of science is “more magical thinking than scientific”.
Contact for background information:
David Goldston (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 703 298 8130; E-mail: [email protected]
Media contact:
Katherine Anderson (Nature, London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4502; E-mail: [email protected]
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