Ernie : Maybe the NAS is supposed to monitor developments in society that are science relevant, maybe also keep tabs on the Congress, but it is news to me that it acts as a shadow government. Anyway, thanks for your response to the idea. The message got through to me that we need changes in science education, both in the formal and informal sense. I was a little disappointed that the only suggestion offered --while it has its merits-- was not all that imaginative. So I asked myself what just might do the trick if it had serious support. I wonder if the NAS might one day take something like this to heart. Probably doubtful, but worth discussion down the road. Billy ====================================================== In a message dated 8/30/2009 10:02:09 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Hi Billy, On Aug 30, 2009, at 6:20 PM, [email protected] wrote: > We cannot toss out the Congress and replace it with, as Saint-Simon > wanted for France, > a "Council of Newton," of scientists of many kinds, to act as the > legislature of a republic. > But how about such a council as a shadow government ? > > Could be quite telegenic, even if it met only a few times per year. > Committees might > be televised on a more regular basis. Otherwise its members might > communicate via > e-mails and submit material to a "Newton website." > > The idea is this : What would scientists recommend by way of > legislation ? > AND, when there is science related legislation on the Hill, what do > actual > scientists think about the bill or bills ? Finally, such a council > might do much > to popularize science for the sake of public knowledge and better > attitudes, > and in the process help stimulate a more robust "science market." > Many ways > it could do so, but one of them might be an on-going critique of TV > and Hollywood. Alas, that's nominally what the National Academy of Science is more-or- less supposed to be, and (politically speaking) to first order it tends to act as a special interest group for science funding. To make this work would require a major shift in how scientists are educated, and even in how they perceive themselves. Worth doing, perhaps, but not a small task... -- Ernie P. _______________________________________________ Centroids mailing list: [email protected] http://radicalcentrism.com/mailman/listinfo/centroids_radicalcentrism.com Archives at http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/
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