ScienceDebate.org

ScienceDebate.org

ScienceDebate.org logo
Motto	The most important discussion on earth
Purpose	Ensure that the key science and technology issues that affect our lives get the attention they deserve, starting with a live, televised debate between the U.S. presidential nominees and expanding to important elections domestically and globally.
Key people	Matthew Chapman, Shawn Lawrence Otto, Lawrence Krauss, Chris Mooney, Sheril Kirshenbaum, Austin Dacey, Darlene Cavalier, Michael Halpern
Website	www.sciencedebate.org

ScienceDebate.org is a nonpartisan American nonprofit organization working to elevate the importance of science and technology in the national public dialogue through live, televised debates involving political candidates. Driven by the vital role that science and technology play in the health, environmental, and economic well-being of society, it strives to provide voters with sufficient and meaningful information on these key issues when electing people to serve in public office.

The organization has the support of 24 Nobel laureates; 172 leaders of scientific institutions; 108 university presidents and provosts; and 55 current and former business leaders (such as company presidents, CEOs, and chairpersons). Well-known signatories include: actors Johnny Depp and Mark Ruffalo, presidential science adviser John Holdren, former energy secretary Steven Chu, inventor Elon Musk, actor/producer David Schwimmer, and educator Bill Nye.^[1][2]

History

Founding of ScienceDebate.org

In the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, the lack of discussion about science and technology issues caught the attention of film director and screenwriter Matthew Chapman.^[3] Together with author, screenwriter and science advocate Shawn Lawrence Otto, theoretical physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss, science journalist Chris Mooney, author and polling expert Sheril Kirshenbaum, and science philosopher Austin Dacey, Science Debate 2008 was created.^[4][5][6] Shortly thereafter, Science Cheerleader founder Darlene Cavalier and science advocate Michael Halpern joined the team.^[7]

Within weeks of its founding, people and organizations from across the political spectrum signed on directly.^[8][9] This included prominent institutions such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the U.S. National Academies, as well as political movers ranging from John Podesta, President Bill Clinton’s former chief of staff, on the left to Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker, on the right.^[10][11] Collectively, by counting the members in the signatory organizations, ScienceDebate.org represents more than 125 million people.^[12]

Science Debate in 2008

Throughout 2008, there were many calls for the candidates to participate in a science debate.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]} On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, then nominee Barack Obama agreed to participate in an online “debate.” He formed a science advisory team that included Harold Varmus to help him answer the questions.^[20] Days later, Senator John McCain agreed to a “debate” in this format as well. The candidates’ answers to “The Fourteen Top Science Questions Facing America,” covering climate change, energy, health care, space, the environment, and the research drivers of economic competitiveness were published in Nature.^{[21][22][23][24][25]} ScienceDebate.org's story and the candidates' responses made nearly a billion media impressions.^[26]

Science Debate in 2012

In partnership with Scientific American, ScienceDebate.org got President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney to address fourteen questions on some of the biggest scientific and technological challenges facing the nation.^[27][28] Scientific American, the group’s media partner in 2012, published the answers and rated them based on the current science.^[29][30] The process of soliciting responses from the candidates and subsequent analysis of the answers was the subject of much conversation in the media during both the primaries^{[31][32][33][34][35]} and general election.^{[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44]}

Science Debate in 2016

For the 2016 election cycle, ScienceDebate.org is working toward a live, televised debate with the presidential nominees, and has signed with a major television network as a media partner.^[45][46] As in past cycles, questions are being crowdsourced. Possible topics include: climate change and energy technologies;^[47][48][49] medical research funding; population, development and the environment; robots and artificial intelligence; privacy and security on the Internet; brain research;^[50] nuclear power, weapons, and waste; protecting fresh water in an age of declining aquifers; space exploration & colonization; STEM education; and science, technology, and the economy. Candidate Bernie Sanders has called for a debate on the environment,^[51] while news outlets have called for clarity on politicians' stances on scientific issues.^{[52][53][54][55]} Researchers are alarmed at current support for science,^[56][57] and thought leaders including Dan Rather, Salon, The Washington Post, and others have decried candidates' disregard for science in their positions and statements.^{[58][59][60][61][62]}

On October 8, 2015, ScienceDebate.org and Research!America commissioned a poll of American attitudes about science and politics. Conducted with 1,002 American adults of voting age, an overwhelming majority (87%) said it is important that candidates for President and Congress have a basic understanding of the science informing public policy issues, including majorities across the political spectrum (92% of Democrats, 90% of Republicans, and 79% of Independents). Americans also said the presidential candidates should participate in a debate to discuss key science-based challenges facing the United States, such as healthcare, climate change, energy, education, innovation and the economy (91% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans and 78% of Independents).^[63] The poll prompted major news outlets to ask why the candidates aren't addressing science issues.^{[64][65][66][67][68]}

On January 11, 2016, ScienceDebate.org released a PSA in which children ask the candidates for President to discuss various scientific issues including climate change, clean drinking water and the honey bee colony collapse problem. The video garnered significant media coverage, inspiring writers to echo the children's call for increased discussion of science.^{[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77]}

On August 10 2016, ScienceDebate.org released the 20 top science questions they want presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to answer this election cycle. The questions got the attention of a significant number of high-profile media outlets.^{[78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89]}

References

External links

• Official website