Obama is still the best hope for science in the US
16:43 25 October 2012 by Andy Feinberg
New Scientist asked both US presidential campaigns for an article putting forward their position on science. Mitt Romney's campaign declined – here, Democratic campaign adviser Andy Feinberg argues why Americans who care about science and its wider benefits should back Barack Obama for a second term
I grew up in Pennsylvania during the breathtaking years of the space race. I graduated from high school in the summer Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. All the boys and girls, farmers and teachers, Democrats and Republicans felt that a career in science and discovery was the best that anyone could pursue.
That is why I became a scientist and a doctor and dedicated my career to uncovering what causes disease, eventually helping pioneer the field of epigenetics. I have made many discoveries, but only because I worked hard, had great teachers and students, and lived in a society that supported and believed in what I was doing. The US is full of people like me – that's why we have the greatest scientific enterprise in the world.
Science matters for everything and everyone. Scientific research and innovation have made and continue to make huge improvements in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the energy we use, the medicines that prolong and improve the quality of our lives and, especially, in how we communicate.
But I am deeply concerned that without leadership and continued commitment to scientific research, the next generation of Americans will not make discoveries and benefit from them. That is why I am voting for Barack Obama.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22427-obama-is-still-the-best-hope-for-science-in-the-us.html?full=true&print=true
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