The author of a new bio on Joseph Priestley was recently on The Colbert Report (light as the interview segment is, Colbert has had some interesting guests on who got a chance to promote books and ideas to a wide audience who otherwise might not have learnt about the matters discussed in such a way). A review in Reason suggests the broad importance of such a work at this time:
We live in troubling times, filled with signs of a great economic apocalypse, politicized science on topics from birth control to climate change, and religious zealots who kill innocents rather than live peacefully with them. This is exactly the moment to learn from Priestley, who survived riots, threats of prosecution, and other hardships and yet never doubted that "the world was headed naturally toward an increase in liberty and understanding." Ironically, The Invention of Air underscores that there is nothing natural about progress and liberty, each of which must be fought for and defended every single day by visionary individuals.
The importance of sound scientific policy is just one reason to support a certain group to govern. I referenced the point four years ago when discussing the issue of stem cells, the federal funding policy about to change, to make a broader point on science in the Bush years. In part:
And in a broader sense, a more nuanced moral understanding of the world we live in, including not limiting the "health and well being of the many" for the beliefs of the few. Not just scientific research, but abortion, condom use, euthanasia, homosexuality, medicinal marijuana, and a lot more is at stake. A simplistic view of public values, one that all too often interferes with the rights of others with a contrasting moral belief system that deserves equal respect in this nation (and sometimes internationally as well), mixed with partisan politics is just one more reason to vote the current bunch out of power.
Now we have a Nobel laureate as Energy Secretary. Global warning is back deemed an important fight. Gag rules are removed. A more sane policy on family planning is possible. There even seems some positive signs on the medicinal marijuana front. As in other areas, such advancements will have limitations. But, such is the nature of the game. Overall, however, there is clear evidence that science is more secure. This should not really be a partisan issue, and the support of efforts against global warning by the likes of McCain and yes Rick Warren underlines it need not be.
Partisan policy does cloud the issue (Jefferson's myopic view of racial issues suggests this crosses party lines), however, and at the end of the day one party has been shown to be better as a whole on this issue. So, we have to take that into account. We should not let that cloud what should be our ultimate end -- reason over something little more than superstition in many cases -- but yet again we seem to have more of a fighting chance since November.