Restore Science to Its Rightful Place...by Kurt A. Garrett

I stood in the frigid cold on top of the US Grant Memorial that balmy day when President Obama proclaimed during his inaugural address to the nation:

"For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.  The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift.  And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.  We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.  We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.  We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.  And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.  All this we can do.  All this we will do."

The challenge and call was clear, besides our normal citizenship we (scientists) were called to "wield technology's wonders…"  I agree with the president: this we can do, this we will do.