Two pieces from big outlets recently gave a bit of cheer to those of us who, while quite happy  to lambaste crappy research and the rash or lazy people who create it, basically cheer for science.  They are very different, but do resonate with one another. Each has to do with the link between the power and money in Washington, and the caliber of science performed across the nation.

• Wall Street Journal – Gautam Naik (Nov. 25): Energy Push Spurs Shift in U.S. Science ;  Among the hundreds of billions of dollars in economic stimulus moneys working their way from budget to paycheck are many to spur better supplies of energy. One result, it says here, is a once-in-a-generation change in the US science landscape, mainly via pumped-up vitality at America’s national laboratories.
• AP: Seth Borenstein: CAPITAL CULTURE: Is Obama another Mr. Spock? ; The President’s interest in and enjoyment of science were, as it says here, hardly evident during the campaign. He seemed all feeling and all policy. But now? He’s so logical, so cool, so detached – and he goes totally geek when sitting down with scientists or touring gadget-laden technological wonderlands. Plus, as Seth writes in the lede “ahem, prominent ears.” Beneath the jokes is a solid account of Obama’s persona and his apparent fascination with science. The Spock-Obama comparison has made the rounds on the internet for quite awhile (which made it easy to find the illus above) but hasn’t gotten much major media treatment till now.

Pic source worth1000.c0m

- Charlie Petit

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Environment & Energy Stories, Science Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.