Submitted to a Candid World

It’s my pleasure to bring you this edition of Tangled Bank, a biweekly collection of posts on important issues of biology and science. How I managed to secure the first post-election Tangled Bank for this little politics blog is beyond me: far be it for me to complain, but it really makes you wonder about PZ Myers’ processes for vetting new hosts… I’ll try my best not to play Sarah Palin to his John McCain.

Common readers of this site will know from experience that I, like all the co-writers of this blog, pushed hard for Obama’s election, and new visitors will guess as much from the site’s browser icon (surprise!). Now that the man’s elected, though, there’s a lot of work to be done – especially because, over the past eight years, scientific integrity somehow became a Democrats-only issue. America’s science community has a lot of ground to recover and, until Obama decides to restore the office to its pre-Bush grandeur, we, the concerned netroots, are the closest thing he has to White House science advisers. Thus, I present to you President-Elect Barack Obama’s first science briefing -

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Dear President-Elect Obama,

Please consider the information below, provided to you by a self-selected group science bloggers who, for one reason or another, consider themselves particularly knowledgeable. As President, we hope that you will:

Put an end to manufactured controversies like creationism, and intelligent design, and educate the public about the facts behind evolutionary biology: evolution is the foundational concept upon which all of modern biology – including next-generation genetic research – is based. New research continues to demonstrate the vitality of evolutionary biology, from the ubiquity of hemoglobin (the presence of which even in plants demonstrates common ancestry, and the ability of “old dogs” to learn “new tricks”) ((Randy of Shamelessly Atheist.)) and the traceable (fishy) ancestry of fingers ((Chris of A Free Man.)) to the history of snails, whose evolutionary path proves how natural selection is a cumulative process. ((Michael H of For the Sake of Science.)) All creationism has to offer us is a cautionary example, and a source of endless humor (example: the intelligent design of languages?). ((Glen of Behe Fails.)) The administration should establish a policy of promoting knowledge of important scientific theories – regardless of how “controversial” the fringes of society make them out to be.

Use science and rationalism to weaken old prejudices: as an objective, universal approach to generally human problems, science knows no prejudice. Using science policy to instill a respect for rationality could have the pleasant side effect of weakening outdated misconceptions of race and sexual orientation. After all, on the issue of race, that which ties us together is stronger than what tears us apart, ((Michael of ScientificBlogging.)) and new research into animal sexuality gives the lie to the old belief that homosexuality is “deviant” and “unnatural.” ((Bjørn of Pleiotropy.))

Promote responsible science education: as I have argued before, American hegemony is built on responsible, useful science. In this arena especially, both our children and our nation deserve better than what the previous administration was willing to give them. We acknowledge that science education isn’t all top down, though – sometimes, it’s a matter of knowing good web resources on the issues, ((Larry, of Best Sites of the Day on EduBlogs.)) from Wikis ((Sandra of DigitalBio.)) to powerful home research programs, capable of delving into the genetics of Parkinsons (readers: please try that program for yourself). ((Sandra of DigitalBio.)) Especially in a research community, rapid communication facilitates research: hence the health community’s embrace of Twitter. ((Walt of HighlightHEALTH.))

Fund studies to unlock medical cures, and provide help for citizens in need: stem cell research is the beginning – not the end – of what America needs to get the research sciences back on their feet. For one, better understanding cancer should be a priority: we’re getting there, but migraines are a correlation, not a cure, for breast cancer. ((PalMD of Denialism Blog.)) On the more general topic of aging, recent studies have delved into the mechanisms of cell death, ((Scott of Ouroboros.)) the aging of muscle, ((Liz of Ouroboros.)) and the slowing of reaction times. ((Dianne of Science Made Cool.)) While biology doesn’t always translate into medicine, if we can better understand the human body, we should endeavor to do so – especially as America’s largest generation reaches old age.

Appreciate the importance of biodiversity and natural beauty, and build your environmental policy around respect for both: the world still has plenty of mysteries waiting to be discovered, from the smallest gecko ((GrrlScientist of ScientistInterrupted.)) to the legendary Axolotl salamander. ((Luigi of BioDiversity Blog.)) Similarly, colloquial knowledge of local lifeforms represents an independent bank of knowledge, not to be completely distrusted (especially in farming): biodiversity creates a diversity of human experience and knowledge, too. ((Jeremy of BioDiversity Blog.)) As Jason reminds us, we’d do well to remember, contemplate, and protect this natural beauty. A decent respect for biodiversity – and nature itself – should inform administration energy and environmental policy

Rebuild the image of the research sciences: applied science is all well and good – and, obviously, it commands the lion’s share of public attention and public financing. But the research sciences are useful in their own right, not just as the foundation for American engineering efforts, and after a parade of politicians lambasting the research sciences (“Fruit flies. I kid you not.”), it’s time to repair that image. Your new science adviser should concern himself – or herself – with popularizing science, and inculcating a national respect for the little thinks, like the science of cooking with chocolate ((OffSeasonTV.)) and optical illusions. ((PodBlack of PodBlack Cat.)) This knowledge is important to defining who we are today, just as historical studies – here, on the origin of agriculture ((Jeremy of VaviBlog.)) – are important to understanding where we’ve been.

Get rid of Daylight Savings Time vs. Standard Time: okay, that’s my opinion, not the opinion of the poster, who in fact takes the time to investigate sleep rhythms during Standard & Daylight Savings Time. ((Coturnix of A Blog Around the Clock.)) But seriously – dark at 5:00 PM? Uncalled for.

That’s all for now, friends. The next Tangled Bank is at “The Incredible Hallq” – please enjoy, and have a great few weeks. Oh, and please feel free to explore the rest of my little site :).