In advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address next week, RealClearPolitics is rolling out daily “state of” reports to better frame the issues he might discuss. The following is a transcript of how their RealClearScience division would deliver a "State of Science" address.
Since they are not part of a cultural agenda, there isn't a lot of talk about how 'dismal' science education is or how poorly funded it is. Instead, they note that this year, the United States is projected to spend $436 billion on research and development. No other country comes close. The combined nations of Europe will spend $338 billion while China will spend $199 billion. Worldwide, nearly one in three dollars of research come from the United States.
Rather than use standardized test scores as some kind of hustle to rationalize more funding, they think America should continue to focus on science literacy - where America leads even as other students 'test' better. Science literacy means being able to ask the right questions to find the best answers for the everyday problems and curiosities of life...We must not allow ourselves to be manipulated by ill-informed politicians and fringe activists who would otherwise hold back or misdirect technological progress on everything from genetic modification and pharmaceuticals to embryonic stem cells and vaccines.
