President Bush talks a good game about science. His new budget proposal includes additional money to fund basic research, and train science and math teachers.
But the president could use some instruction in scientific thinking himself. Too often, he takes a theological approach to problems, deciding what he believes before the facts are in and ignoring evidence that undermines his prejudices. That is the exact opposite of the scientific method.
kAm%96 =2E6DE 6I2>A=6 :D E96 2EE6>AE E@ D:=6?46 y2>6D t] w2?D6?[ 2 9:89=J C6DA64E65 C6D62C496C @? 4=:>2E6 492?86 H@C<:?8 7@C }p$p] w2?D6?’D D:?i 96 A@:?E65 @FE E92E C:D:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 D@ 52?86C@FD E96J 4@F=5 4C62E6 2 “5:776C6?E A=2?6E]”k^Am
kAm%9:D :D ?@E H92E E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 H2?ED E@ 962C] xE 92D =@?8 56C:565 E96 H9@=6 4@?46AE @7 8=@32= H2C>:?8 2?5 C67FD65 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 zJ@E@ %C62EJ 2:>65 2E =:>:E:?8 8C66?9@FD6 82D6D] $@ }p$p’D AF3=:4 C6=2E:@?D DE277 >@?:E@C65 w2?D6?’D DE2E6>6?ED 2?5 <6AE 9:> 2H2J 7C@> :?BF:C:?8 C6A@CE6CD] “%96J 766= E96:C ;@3 :D E@ 36 E9:D 46?D@C @7 :?7@C>2E:@? 8@:?8 @FE E@ E96 AF3=:4[” w2?D6? D2JD]k^Am
kAm%9:D AC@>AE65 #6A] $96CH@@5 q@69=6CE[ 2 }6H *@C< #6AF3=:42?[ E@ HC:E6 2 =6EE6C H2C?:?8 }p$p E92E[ “8@@5 D4:6?46 42??@E =@?8 A6CD:DE :? 2? 2E>@DA96C6 @7 :?E:>:52E:@?]”k^Am
kAmq@69=6CE’D C:89E[ 2?5 E96 w2?D6? 42D6 :D 92C5=J 2? :D@=2E65 :?4:56?E] pD E96 D4:6?E:DE E@=5 %96 }6H *@C< %:>6Di “%96 AC@3=6> :D >F49 3C@256C 2?5 >F49 566A6C 2?5 :E 8@6D 24C@DD 286?4:6D]”k^Am
kAm%96 &?:@? @7 r@?46C?65 $4:6?E:DED 92D 82E96C65 D:8?2EFC6D 7C@> >@C6 E92? g[___ D4:6?E:DED AC@E6DE:?8 E96 qFD9 p5>:?:DEC2E:@?’D 2AAC@249] “%96C6 92G6 2=H2JD 366? :D@=2E65 :?4:56?ED H96C6 A6@A=6 92G6 A=2J65 A@=:E:4D H:E9 D4:6?46[” uC2?46D42 vC:7@[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 F?:@?’D $4:6?E:7:4 x?E68C:EJ !C@;64E[ E@=5 %:>6 >282K:?6] “(92E’D ?6H :D :ED A6CG2D:G6 2?5 DJDE6>2E:4 ?2EFC6]”k^Am
kAm|2?J @7 E96 4@>A=2:?:?8 D4:6?E:DED 5:5?’E G@E6 7@C qFD9[ D@>6 2C6 A=2J:?8 A@=:E:4D E96>D6=G6D[ 2?5 =:36C2=D 42? 2=D@ 56?J 6G:56?46 E92E 4@?EC25:4ED E96:C 36=:67D] ~?6 6I2>A=6i AC@\49@:46 5:D4:A=6D >:?:>:K6 >65:42= 25G2?46D E92E 6IA2?5 76E2= G:23:=:EJ 2?5 5:>:?:D9 E96 =68:E:>24J @7 =2E6\E6C> 23@CE:@?D]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 AC6D:56?E 92D E96 A@H6C 2?5 96’D E96 @?6 H9@’D 366? 23FD:?8 :E] %2<6 E96 :DDF6 @7 DE6> 46== C6D62C49] (9:=6 62C=J 6IA6C:>6?ED 92G6 366? 5:D2AA@:?E:?8[ >2?J D4:6?E:DED DE:== 36=:6G6 :E 9@=5D 6?@C>@FD AC@>:D6 7@C 2:5:?8 DF776C6CD @7 5:236E6D[ !2C<:?D@?’D 2?5 @E96C 5:D62D6D]k^Am
kAm|@DE @7 E92E C6D62C49 :?G@=G6D E96 56DECF4E:@? @7 9F>2? 6>3CJ@D[ 2? 24E @7 >FC56C E@ qFD9’D >@DE 4@?D6CG2E:G6 C6=:8:@FD DFAA@CE6CD] $@ E96 AC6D:56?E 3@H65 E@ E9@D6 DFAA@CE6CD[ D6G6C6=J C6DEC:4E:?8 7656C2= C6D62C49 DFAA@CE] tG6? E9@F89 D4:6?E:DED 4@>A=2:? 3:EE6C=J E92E E96:C H@C< :D 36:?8 F?56C>:?65 – 2 4=2:> C6:?7@C465 3J $6?] q:== uC:DE[ E96 #6AF3=:42? =6256C 2?5 ?@E65 962CE DFC86@? – E96 AC6D:56?E 92D C67FD65 E@ 3F586]k^Am
kAm%96? E96C6 H2D %6CCJ $49:2G@[ E96 u=@C:52 H@>2? 5:28?@D65 3J C6AFE23=6 5@4E@CD 2D DF776C:?8 7C@> :CC6G6CD:3=6 3C2:? 52>286] qFD9 2?5 9:D 4@?D6CG2E:G6 2==:6D C67FD65 E@ 2446AE E92E >65:42= 7:?5:?8 2?5 7@F89E E96 564:D:@? 3J $49:2G@’D 9FD32?5 E@ C6>@G6 96C 7665:?8 EF36 2?5 =6E 96C 5:6] p? 2FE@ADJ AC@G65 4@?4=FD:G6=J E92E E96 @C:8:?2= 5:28?@D:D H2D 244FC2E6]k^Am
kAmqFD9 :D 2=D@ 2E H2C H:E9 D4:6?46 @? E96 DF3;64E @7 E96 F?:G6CD6’D @C:8:?] (9:=6 C6D62C49 52E2 @G6CH96=>:?8=J DFAA@CED E96 E96@CJ @7 6G@=FE:@?[ E96 AC6D:56?E D2JD E96 :562 @7 “:?E6==:86?E 56D:8?[” 2? FA52E65 G6CD:@? @7 4C62E:@?:D>[ D9@F=5 2=D@ 36 E2F89E :? AF3=:4 D49@@=D] w:D G:6H H2D 7@C467F==J C63F7765 C646?E=J 3J 2 7656C2= ;F586 :? !6??DJ=G2?:2 H9@ CF=65 E92E “:?E6==:86?E 56D:8?” :D AFC6=J 2 C6=:8:@FD 4@?46AE 2?5 92D ?@ A=246 :? 2 D4:6?46 4=2DD] tG6? E96 '2E:42? 6?5@CD65 E96 ;F586’D CF=:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 2?5 9:D 92C54@C6 DFAA@CE6CD 2C6 A2CE:4F=2C=J DBF62>:D9 @? E96 DF3;64E @7 D6I 2?5 D4:6?46] &?56C AC6DDFC6 7C@> C6=:8:@FD 4@?D6CG2E:G6D[ E96 u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? C6;64E65 E96 @G6CH96=>:?8 @A:?:@? @7 :ED @H? D4:6?E:DED 2?5 32CC65 E96 @G6C\E96\4@F?E6C D2=6 @7 !=2? q[ 2 “>@C?:?8 27E6C” 4@?EC246AE:G6]k^Am
kAm#6=:8:@?[ 9@H6G6C[ :D ?@E E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D @?=J >@E:G6 7@C EC2D9:?8 8@@5 D4:6?46] q:8 4@CA@C2E:@?D[ 962GJ 4@?EC:3FE@CD E@ E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ[ 2C6 E96 >2:? C62D@? 7@C E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D C67FD2= E@ E2<6 8=@32= H2C>:?8 D6C:@FD=J] %96 ?2E:@?’D 3@2C5C@@>D 2C6 ?@E 6I24E=J 9@E365D @7 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 6?52?86C65 DA64:6D 24E[ 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D 2== A2CE @7 2 5:DEFC3:?8 A2EE6C? @7 DEF33@C? :8?@C2?46] #6>6>36C[ E9:D AC6D:56?E D2:5 E92E E96C6 H2D ?@ H2J @7 2?E:4:A2E:?8 E96 4@==2AD6 @7 E96 }6H ~C=62?D =6G66D[ H96? D4:6?E:DED 7@C J62CD 925 366? H2C?:?8 23@FE ;FDE DF49 2 42E2DEC@A96]k^Am
kAm(6 2AA=2F5 E96 AC6D:56?E’D DFAA@CE 7@C 36EE6C C6D62C49 2?5 >@C6 D4:6?46 E62496CD] w6’D C:89E :? D2J:?8 E92E 8@@5 D4:6?46 H:== 6?92?46 p>6C:42? 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD] qFE E96 4@C6 @7 E96 D4:6?E:7:4 >6E9@5 :D E@ 8@ H96C6 E96 724ED =625 J@F] p?5 E9:D AC6D:56?E :D ?@E 2== E92E :?E6C6DE65 :? 724ED]k^Am
kAm$E6G6 #@36CEDUCDBF@j =2E6DE 3@@< :D U=5BF@j|J u2E96CDUCDBF@j w@FD6Di |6>@:C @7 2 u2>:=JUC5BF@j W(:==:2> |@CC@H[ a__dX] $E6G6 2?5 r@<:6 #@36CED 42? 36 4@?E24E65 3J 6\>2:= 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iDE6G64@<:6o8>2:=]4@>QmDE6G64@<:6o8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^Am
