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VOL.455 NO.7212 DATED 25 SEPTEMBER 2008
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News: US election special
A special issue of Nature this week tackles science in the US election, exploring how John McCain and Barack Obama developed their stances on science; who is advising them on technical issues; and where they might take the country if elected. The issue features unique answers from Obama on science-related questions, including his statement that “I believe in evolution, and I support the strong consensus of the scientific community that evolution is scientifically validated. I do not believe it is helpful to our students to cloud discussions of science with non-scientific theories like intelligent design that are not subject to experimental scrutiny.” Summaries of McCain’s position on the same subjects are also included.
The Books & Arts section asks a number of eminent researchers which science book the next US president should read.
In addition, a column by David Goldston challenges the accepted wisdom about the role of the presidential science adviser. Most surprisingly, Goldston reveals for the first time an incident that took place in 2005, when he was chief of staff for the House Science Committee — in which the White House tried to prevent a venture capitalist and head of a presidential nanotechnology advisory committee from testifying in front of Congress, claiming that he was a presidential adviser whose views should be confidential.
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Nature Reports Climate Change: Environment and the election
The next US president will have a vital role in determining how the US, and the world, responds to climate change. As the US election draws close, a special package of news features on Nature Reports Change Climate this week looks at where at where the Republicans and Democrats stand on climate and energy.
The special includes a Q&A with the presidential candidates, with direct responses from Barack Obama and summaries of John McCain’s stance on the issues. The package also takes a look how the presidential candidates and their running mates have fared historically on climate and energy, and reports on the likely challenges the next president will face in pushing climate legislation through Congress.
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