No Debate, but Candidates Respond to Science Questions
About a year ago, five fellow citizens and I formed an organization called Science Debate 2008 and began inviting the presidential candidates to a debate on science and technology.
So far, in spite of having most of the American science community on our side, a broadcast partner ready and willing to put this on nationwide television, and numerous highly prestigious institutions wanting to host, we have not received a reply. While we were waiting, we developed "The 14 Most Important Science Questions for The Candidates" and sent them through the same channels as the invitations to a debate.
Both John McCain and Barack Obama have now replied. This is a historic achievement. As far as we know, no presidential candidates have ever delineated their science policies so early or in such detail. Reporters and debate hosts can now compare the two and ask more probing questions. The candidate responses can be seen on our website, ScienceDebate2008.com.
Like everyone involved in this initiative, I am pleased to find out more about the candidates' science policies, but at the risk of sounding ungrateful, I remain disappointed: democracy thrives on debate - and we'd still like one on science. A poll we commissioned showed the American public feel the same way. An equal percentage of both Democrats and Republicans - 85% - agreed that the candidates "should participate in a debate to discuss key problems facing the United States, such as healthcare, climate change and energy, and how science can tackle them."
Why are the candidates not responsive to this vast number of would-be voters and what would it take to persuade them? The answer is simple. We have received unprecedented levels of support and interest from the science community, from people who know how critical science issues are, from science magazines and publications, and from science-interested blogs. Unfortunately, only a few national newspapers and a couple of radio and TV shows have talked about us, and mostly in science-specific sections. It seems as if in the media, science and politics have become mutually exclusive ghettos, with neither daring to venture into the other's territory. This is a tragic mistake with huge social, economic, and moral consequences. The science policies both candidates outlined in response to our questions address the most important yet most ignored issues of our times. Science - in this context, our knowledge of the health of our planet and its inhabitants - is far more important than the war in Iraq, the mortgage crisis, or teen pregnancy in the Palin family.
History tells us that wars come and go, economies rise and fall, and so-called "values" change. History can tell us nothing about what will happen if we ignore some of the science-related crises contained in the 14 Questions we'd now like the candidates to debate. Voters and reporters alike, please go to our site, report what we're doing, and support our continuing efforts to get the candidates to talk about the most important subject on earth - the earth.
Matthew Chapman is a writer, director and producer. His article "God or Gorilla" for Harper's Magazine was selected for the book Best Science Writing 2007. He has written two books: "Trials Of The Monkey - An Accidental Memoir" and "40 Days and 40 Nights - Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin, and Other Oddities On Trial in Pennsylvania." He is currently preparing a feature film, "The Ledge," which he wrote and will direct.
By Matthew Chapman |
September 15, 2008; 11:37 PM ET
Share: Email a Friend |
Technorati
| Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
Previous: Fear of God and Darwin |
Next: Got Acedia? Who Cares?
Posted by: Anonymous | September 16, 2008 8:37 PM
Report Offensive Comment
On: The Difference Between a Pre-Apocalyptic Scientist (like YE Mr. Chapman ) & the Difference Between an APOCALYPT-ARiAN Scientist, Jurist, Public Teacher LikE Us EC{LATi-On's, etcc.
----
Att: Mr. JESUS Lover & Intelligent Design Proponent (Where JESUS is Creator) , M. C. CHAPMAN, et al Satans:
Your many "WE"??? ScienceDebate2008.com Site is a Hoa[x!
Administrative Contact for Your (not Ours) ScienceDebate2008.com:
Hassan, Taha??????????????
CYMAK CANADA INC.
23 nova scotia dr.
Brampton, Ontario l6y5k6
Canada
(416) 854-3423
------------------------
Point: Ye JESUS Lovers, need to take that "WE" ScIENCE DEBATE somewhere else. Stay away with that 'another 'Rick Warren' Show trick!
Before Ye Jesus Lovers LiED to a Secular Federal Judge(s) Face in a Secular Federal Court when omitting & Pushing to Snakaroo YE (WE) Quazi Jesus Science called Intelligent Design.
I.D. Died in FEDERAL Court Because the Fact is that I.D was Proven a Hoak! I.D is 'NOT-PREDiCTABLE", thus is NOT SCiENCE!
Talking about 'Design' WOW!:
Ye (WE) Evangelicals Judeo-Christs, all Worship 'IMPORTED RELiGiON(s) (Systems, not Made in America , nor Designed for Us JO{KTANians, via genuine Prophecy) and
yet Ye MANUFACTURE, in China & Abroad [Depriving American with preascious Jobs: ScHAME on YE!]
"JESUS SNEAKERS" ,"JESUS SHOES", "JESUS-BOTTLED WATER", "JESUS-ENERGY BARS" , "JESUS T-SHiRTS" , maybe Jesus Condoms (just kidding!?) etc. Please see Store sample @
http://www.like.com/shoes/jesus_sneakers?SID=YAH&CID=YBSHO7a363b54daf0aa0e
AND
YE Even Have & Hold JESUS Public & Private TRADE SHOWS PROMOTIoNS & EXCHANGES & Prayer Vigils!
--- Pleaza.
Example: Ye Rabbi JESUS Thumpers Believe that "WE" can acsually walk on Ye (not OUR) Biblical holy 'water' Storys Instead of OUR Hol{i} "H2O" real Storys, So We APOCALYPTARiANS, unlike YE PRE-Apcalyptarian Scientists, Teachers etc.. , DO NOT WALKeth on H2O! Another
Example: Ye Rabbi JEZEUS, the Craetor, Lovers Believe in YE (not OUR) biblical 'light' as if Rabbi Jesus, or Moses or Muhammad or Krishna, Arjuna etc.. Can Acsually Teletransport Up to or Down to other Worlds or Via Ladders to theplaces; But
"WE" EC{LATARiANS, aka Apocalyptarians, DO NOT Teletransport Via Ye Light Storys, but By OUR PHOTON Storys.! Another:
Example: Rabbi MOZEUS , the Novel-Star & god Player (not OUR G-D) said, via the DRUNKiN (racist) NOAH STORY" that , After The Gilgamesh FLOOD ,aka The Most Evil Story Ever Told,Humanity, that ALL, EVERY & ANY LIFE FORMS (Living) was KiLLED via Drowning.. [Similar slipped or Saith]. Besides Character "SETH" All Things will start Anew, no more Curse nor Sin??.
iMportant REVELATiON (opposite of Secret or Hidden, from Us; like {MANNA} from Heaven, or Holy {UMMAH}, or Holy {KARMA}..)
FACT: ALL, EVERY & ANY "BACTERiA" [Bacteria, Eukoryotes , Archia especially etc..] , forms, which Dumb Rabbi Moses Over Looked, Did not Die! So Ye can't Argue 'BiO-DiVERSiTY' the New Satans Word (not only I.D.) to Infiltrate SECULAR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES!
---
Interesting: The ROMAn CATHOLiC Church are Now Saying that Mr. Rabbi JESUS was an "ALiEN" Visitor Who's MOTHER-Ship & FATHER-Ship Beamed him to Earth, in Carbon Base Form & Then Beamed Him Up , like Scotti!
Note: "i" used to kid-around, that When One Dies, that there is an invisible-Space-Ship waiting to Collect each of Us & then Take us to Other Planets! Not like $cientology thinking either! Remember the "ALiEN iNVASiON" via Orson Wells over Radio 1938 scare???? Amazing How Ye Televagelicals use OUR-Secular-Air-Waves, not Yours, to Promote [tautological, STATiC, zero DYNAMiC] Religious-Science (if Any)!
----
iNCAMERA (secret): Before O.U.R. Founders & Prophet, of Many, Hir Albert Einstein [pbuh et al] Died 4.17.1955 (3 Days Before), He Recanted & Said that: "SCiENCE" & "RELiGiON" , as "i" see "IT", not the Religious, are Incompatible and Not Compatible with Science!"
"i" Said, That Science without Religion ... [story] because "i" was Too Afraid to Anger the Religious Finatics because Ye know what their wrath will do to the rest of Us [SECULAR & Religious Jews]!"
----
Note again : Ye JESUS Lovers Vote "NO" To Abortion, Yet "YES" to WAR [Mass Murder or Sytematic]!!
AMAZiNG () NO GRACE!
------
Behold: “The RELiGiON of Everything, before the Science of Everything is now Upon-Us, in U.S.!” a Genuine ‘AMERiC-MADE” , but TRUE (opposite of MYTH) Religion SYSTEM, as Promised & Prophesied, Us EC{LATARiANs, aka JO{KTAN-ian Nationals of America [not PELEGs], in all ye 3-Major “iNFiXUS-BOOKS” [Tenach/Bibles, Quran/Korans, Gita/Tripitakas].
.
.
WELCOME! Please Help-Us Celebrate the “International Year [of] Astronomy, 2009. Gallaleo’s 400th Year Anniversary [another Vatican Church Victim deprived of freedom]! Thank You!
.
.
IYA2009
.
.
By: http:////.......({..J..}).......({..O..}).......({..Z..}).......({...E.}).......({..V..}).......({..Z..})........dot...... US
.
.
O.rdained R.elationship M.inister [ORM}, Revelator & Defender of the 'Holy Cosmic Feeler Faith, aka 'Ho-Co-Fe-Fa' System; a belief like a religion, yet better & a Lover of "O.U.R.-B.O.T.", aka the Holy-Cosmic Bible, aka "O.ne U.niversal R.eligion B.ook O.f T.rans{Finity}"
Posted by: FRM: JO{KTAN NATIONAL PROLETARiATE MOVEMENT, USA, 2013+ | September 16, 2008 7:33 PM
Report Offensive Comment
The comments to this entry are closed.












Hark!
Leave the Science to the SCiENTiST (Apples)! and
Leave the Politics to the POLiTiCiAN (Oranges)! and
Leave the gods to the CLERGYists (Sour grapes)!
Meaning, Stay the Heck away from Scintists & Politicians.
Pleaza; Go Quiz & Debate Ye Pre-Apocalyptic Clergy's Leaderships instead, like Rick Warren, John Hagee, Mike Huckabee, Richard Land etc..
not OUR Apocalyptic Politicians & or OUR Apocalyptic Scientists!
Do not mix Apples With Oranges or with Sour-grapes Aye?! Remember Algebra???
PS: "i" hath only 2-4 Questions; not 14+
PS: Ye Failed the Apocalyptarian Quiz!
AMAZiNG () NO GRACE!