Science Debate 2008

A growing list of luminaries, dignitaries, and ordinary folks are pushing for the American presidential candidates to participate in a debate focused on science and technology issues.
At the urging of my acquaintance Andrew, a science journalist who writes for geology.about.com, I have added my name to the list.

There is not a single issue in foreign or domestic policy that doesn't rely heavily on science and technology, not just in obvious ways such as climate change issues, energy, defense, health care and food supply, but also in more subtle but far-ranging ways such as the treatment of evidence, fact, and reason in policy discussions. Many of the candidates have made sweeping statements suggesting that they rely more heavily on doctrine or belief than on scientific evidence, i.e., Huckabee's refusal to recant his 1992 suggestion that AIDS patients be quarantined to prevent transmission of the disease.