Institutions Pressure Presidential Candidates for Science Debate

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/13/08
##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon University, Temple University, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and a number of other institutions of higher education, as well as museums and private companies, have called on the presidential candidates to participate in a science-focused debate on technology, climate change, health policy, and education.

"What we need is a debate focusing on how we're going to move this nation ahead in terms of the global economy and high quality jobs, tackling clean energy and climate change, reinvigorating science and math education, and solving our healthcare system," said debate organizer Shawn Lawrence Otto, CEO of Science Debate 2008. The grass roots debate has been scheduled for April 18 at The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.

Among business leaders calling for the forward-thinking debate is Intel Chairman Craig Barrett. "This is not a niche debate," said Barrett. "The future economic success of the United States depends on out-performing the competition with smart people and smart ideas. Without the best education system and aggressive investments in basic research and development, we will become a second-rate economic power. With its outstanding universities and transforming economy, Pennsylvania is a perfect place for this discussion, and we hope the candidates for president take this very seriously."

At the time of this writing, no candidates had announced their participation.

Organized by a couple of out of work screenwriters, ScienceDebate2008.com signers represent 140 American universities.

Get daily news from THE Journal's RSS News Feed

About the author: Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • young educators collaborate with AI tools on laptops and tablets

    Survey: Younger Educators More Likely to Embrace AI Tools

    While educators across the United States agree that AI has enhanced classroom engagement, enthusiasm for AI's benefits is strongest among young teachers, according to a recent survey from learning technology company D2L.

  • laptop displaying a phishing email icon inside a browser window on the screen

    ED Grant Portal Target of Phishing Campaign

    Threat researchers at BforeAI have identified a phishing campaign spoofing the U.S. Department of Education's G5 grant management portal.

  • open laptop with data streams

    OpenAI Launches AI-Powered Web Browser

    OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, a standalone browser that places ChatGPT at the heart of everyday web activity. This release represents a major expansion of the company's efforts to reshape how users search, browse, and complete tasks online.

  • laptop with AI symbol on screen

    Google Launches Lightweight Gemma 3n, Expanding Emphasis on Edge AI

    Google DeepMind has officially launched Gemma 3n, the latest version of its lightweight generative AI model designed specifically for mobile and edge devices — a move that reinforces the company's focus on on-device computing.