Update the Nobel prizes
…If Dr. Paine, had been a physicist, chemist or cell biologist, such a fundamental, broadly applicable and hugely influential paradigm would probably have put him in contention for a Nobel Prize. But Paine was an ecologist, so he had no shot at the prestige, power and wealth that the Nobels bestow. The same can be said for the world’s top geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, climatologists, crop scientists, botanists, entomologists and practitioners of many other fields.
Science’s reach has relentlessly expanded to include ever more facets of our world, and it has become increasingly important to our lives. But the world’s most important scientific honor society has largely ignored that evolution. As a result, the Nobel Prizes, which will be announced this week, are reserved for an ever-shrinking fraction of the scientific community and are receding from the interests of society at large. It’s high time for an update.
Gabriel Popkin
The New York Times
STEM & liberal arts
The U.S. military understood the importance of STEM long before it became the most coveted acronym in education. If we want leaders who communicate clearly, solve problems creatively and appreciate cultural differences in theaters where they operate, studying the humanities is just as important as science, technology, engineering and math.
Joseph Zengerle
The Washington Post
Campaign jokes
A spokesman for the Taliban said leaders of the terrorist organization, meeting at a secret viewing party, were disappointed that the first presidential debate didn’t mention Afghanistan. The Taliban was disappointed in the debate? This may be the first time terrorists have found common ground with average Americans.
Russian newspapers, meanwhile, declared Hillary Clinton the winner of the first debate — something they reportedly publicized through Clinton’s personal email server.
Jay Evensen
Deseret News
The dog ate my planet
Climate change has already melted ice caps, increased coastal flooding and worsened droughts. And the damage is getting more severe. The seven hottest years have all occurred since 2005 – and 2016 is on pace to be the third straight record-setting year.
There are real debates and real uncertainty about climate change and how to deal with it. But its existence and the risks it poses are undeniable.
Or at least they should be. The refusal to accept this reality is the biggest, most worrisome sign – yes, even bigger than the nomination of Trump – that the country currently lacks a functioning conservative party.
David Leonhardt
The New York Times
Colorado schools vs. Utah roads
It would be too simplistic to say that Utah has chosen roads over children. After all, a good road system encourages economic activity, which in turn produces more tax money for schools. Conversely, a more educated population attracts higher paying industries, which in turn pay more taxes that can go to roads. But if we want to have the largest, longest effect with our tax dollars, we would be wise to return Colorado’s road envy with some healthy admiration for its early investment in children. When those Colorado preschoolers are hitting college, our roads will need resurfacing.
Tribune Editorial
The Salt Lake Tribune
Bumper sticker politics
There is something quintessentially American about political bumper stickers. They are blunt, dogmatic, occasionally witty and always provocative.
These days, they’re a gauge of our escalating political rancor. It’s not just the rhetoric that’s intensified. It’s our reaction to it.
In 2014, political science researchers at Princeton and Stanford tested the divide and concluded, “Hostile feelings for the opposing party are ingrained or automatic in voters’ minds. Partisans discriminate against opposing partisans, and do so to a degree that exceeds discrimination based on race.” (Those are my italics.)
Our democracy grants us the right to free speech in all its outlandish forms. We can and should participate in vigorous public debate about our candidates and our crises of state. But a democracy dominated by bigoted wrath — by the lazy pleasures of bumper sticker politics — is on a road to nowhere.
Steve Almond
Los Angeles Times
