The wonders of the Internet; overcoming dreaded diseases such as polio; our first steps to explore space; the ability to locate anything on Earth to within a few feet with a global positioning system--all are powerful reminders that science and technology can change the world in a most positive manner. They have a wonderful opportunity to play in shaping the society we live in--but they cannot do that successfully if science is allowed to become simply a matter of opinion.

Just look at what has been happening in regard to scientific questions about the environment, global warming and evolution. Why is scientific opinion so often disregarded, or even scoffed at? The answer is the growing public sentiment that science is only one of many ways of viewing the world. All of us should be troubled by this trend, because it threatens to make our nation less competitive at a time when the globe is shrinking.

--Richard N. Zare
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