Peter Hirshberg's weblog on disruptive culture and technology: The White House Talks Science!

Newsweek has discovered that the President Of The United States has a science advisor, and they are asking readers to submit questions!

Not only is it encouraging to hear that the President is aware of science, but the fact that they are listening to the audience shows what an enlightened democracy we really are. I'm patriotic, so I've fired off my questions for Newsweek to take to the White House and learn more about science. In the off chance that my questions and the answers from Science Advisor Marburger don't make it back to Newsweek, I'm reproducing my letter here:

Dear Dr. Marburger,

I'm excited to hear from the White House on issues of science, especially given how controversial this has become in Washington. A lot of the President's supporters have pointed out recently how suspect science is, and how science has not really been too supportive of the facts as the Administration would like them to be. So here are my questions:

I understand the earth is only 8,000 years old and this geologic time stuff is so much liberal hooey. What is Genisis, chopped liver? As supporters of the President we really need your help here. Can you please help explain why science keeps coming up with million year old rocks and then puts all this in text books?

This bit about mankind evolving from alge and apes. Why isn't the white house doing more about this? Science is getting in the way again, and isn't this your job to fix ?

Global warming. Isn't it scientifically proven that there is co2 in soda pop? Our GI's live for soda. We take away co2 and the soda's flat. Flat soda and you have a bunch of demoralized GI's. We have enough of that already (damn scientific polls telling us its an unpopular war, but I won't hold you responsbible for that, Dr. Marburger.) So the more we push this global warming stuff the more lakluster we Americans become and then we just poop off and loose our mojo. Dr. Marburger this is no way for a great people to be!

So can't we just put science in its place, in a museum perhaps, and get on with a more convienient truth.

Yours Truly,

Peter Hirshberg