Friday, November 7, 2008

1. CHANGE: SCIENCE IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.

I was in the air between Washington and Seattle when the election was decided; I learned the result from a taxi driver, an immigrant from the republic of Georgia with children to educate. He clearly enjoyed being the one to tell me. He had the same enthusiasm for change that I sensed in the long line when the polls opened that morning. The agent for change today, as always, is science, but throughout the tedious election campaign neither camp displayed much interest in a science debate and the idea died. But what was it we wanted to know? We already knew that neither candidate had any background in science. We knew we didn't need more Freedom Cars running on hydrogen or corn ethanol. Nor do we need to defend the human rights of stem cells, or put up with barriers to buying Plan B, or for our children in science class to be taught "both sides" of the creationism issue. Even less do we need old-fashioned crap like sending human astronauts back to the Moon in an age of automation. What we need to know is who Obama will turn to for advice. As President, he can call on any scientist in the country, and the time to do it is right now. We'd feel even better if Obama were to signal his intention to elevate his science advisor to cabinet rank. We could suggest about a thousand scientists who would do a good job, but it wouldn't help if Obama ignores his science advisor.

2. THE NEW OIL: A DESALINATION PLANT FOR LONDON?

Most people think London has enough water, but the city is forced to build a desalination plant to accommodate population growth. It's not the fecundity of native Londoners that has risen; as in all of Europe, immigration is on the rise with inevitable cultural conflict. Expect more such problems around the world as the demands of the green revolution reduce clean water, and excess population spills out of Muslim nations that can no longer feed their people as oil revenues decline.

3. SCIENCE FRICTION: MICHAEL CRICHTON DIES AT 66.

Many of my students admit that they were drawn to science by reading science fiction novels, and one of the authors mentioned most frequently is Michael Crichton. I am grateful for the students he sent me, but the irony is that his works were intensely anti-science. Consider Jurassic Park, which was also made into a blockbuster movie. The brilliant explanation of how the dinosaurs were cloned was the only treatment of evolution to which many fans had ever been exposed. Perhaps that overshadows his plot of using this great advance in science to build an amusement park. That misuse of science was at the heart of Crichton novels.

4. REALITY THERAPY: RICHARD DAWKINS RETIRES FROM OXFORD.

By contrast with Crichton, Richard Dawkins forces people to confront reality. With his help a campaign has raised the money to pay for a message on the side of buses: "There is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The pity is that the world sees truth as "shrill and strident." The truth is the truth, nothing else. Retirement, of course, does not require one to stop writing. A world without the prospect of another book by Dawkins would a sadder place.

Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.