A Science Quiz for the Candidates
- Mar 22, 2016
- 2 min read
Cross-posted at Huffington Post
In the days following the historic Paris climate summit, in which 195 countries for the first time agreed to begin limiting greenhouse gases, there were two presidential debates: one Democrat and one Republican. None of the journalists in either debate asked a single question about climate change.
This situation is all too common in US politics, where, by and large, both journalists and politicians believe the general public is as disinterested in science as they are. They think of it as an unorganized and somewhat quixotic special interest without much voting power.
Polling shows they are wrong. We live in an age when science impacts every aspect of every voter's life every day, and the public, for one, think the candidates ought to be debating these issues on the campaign trail.
Now a group of America's leading science organizations is banding together to push for just such a discussion, and they want to know what you think are the most important science questions to ask the candidates for president. They've set up a website where you can vote for the questions you think are most important, or submit one of your own.
Care about climate change? Vaccinations? GMOs? Science education? Research funding? Reproductive medicine? Stem cells? Zika virus? Scientific integrity? Intelligent design or climate denial in school textbooks? Attacks on science? Postdoc purgatory? Mental health research? The brain initiative? Space exploration? The sixth mass extinction? Nuclear weapons? Alternative energy? Universal healthcare? Drugs? Clean water?
These and a host of other issues are being explored as possible questions at http://questions.sciencedebate.org.
But you don't have much time. The groups will meet at the end of the month to begin to go through the submitted questions and make decisions.
The proposal for a science quiz for political candidates is incredibly timely, as the intersection of evidence-based policy and technology is a theme I encounter daily while navigating the intensive rigors of my current PhD research. Balancing my doctoral studies with a part-time job at Last Minute Assignment has given me a front-row seat to the modern student experience, where the desire to engage with civic issues and scientific literacy often clashes with the reality of crushing academic deadlines. Having suffered through many high-stress hustles and sleepless nights during my own college days, I am now incredibly conscious of the mental toll an unmanaged workload can take on one’s stability. This personal history is why I have such a deep…
The science quiz idea is interesting and makes learning more engaging and fun. I once tried something similar but felt pressure, so I used online nutrition exam help to stay on track while preparing. It helped me learn at my own pace. This shows that creative learning methods can make a big difference. Nice post, it make me smile.