Election watch... - October 27, 2008
After McCain’s attack on earmarks for planetariums, the Republican ticket has alienated another section of the scientific community. Sarah Palin, the potential vice president, made the following statement in a recent speech:
Where does a lot of that earmark money end up? ... Sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Think like: fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not.
[Video here]
The Washington City Paper notes (their emphasis):
Last night, on Countdown, a Newsweek reporter who usually can be counted on to spout dull Conventional Wisdom declared that Sarah Palin’s quip that fruit fly research is a joke may in fact be the Dumbest Thing Sarah Palin Has Ever Said.
Think Progress says: “Palin did not specify what fruit fly research earmark she was referring to (presumably a grant for olive fruit fly research), but she is apparently unaware that scientific research with fruit flies has led to valuable discoveries that have boosted autism research.”
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have shot back with a video detailing the ‘Importance of fruit fly research’ (UNC Health Care weblog).
Other blogs are also taking up the Palin-bashing on this point:
A Blog Around the Clock
Pharyngula
Comments
OK, so it's fun to bash Sarah Palin. But the bigger question is what can be done - by scientists as well as others - to up the level of science-informed decision-making?
This is a really tough question, because it requires scientists to stop feeling quite so smug, and start working with people who maybe don't know how important fruit-fly research is!
No real answers, but some possible ways forward at: http://2020science.org/2008/10/26/five-slightly-harder-pieces—underpinning-sound-science-policy/
Posted by: Andrew Maynard | October 27, 2008 04:41 PM