Scientists Running for Office to Fight Science Denial

Scientists haven't typically been lawmakers, but now 314 Action wants people with scientific knowledge and understanding to help make America think again. Kim Horcher and Emma Fyffe (Hyper RPG, Collider TV Talk) break it down.

"US president Donald Trump did not study law or governance, yet he rose straight to the top of American politics. This gave some scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians an idea: they launched an initiative, STEM the Divide, to get more of their own into public office."

NerdAlert is a talk and discussion show for the well-rounded nerd, bringing you tech news, gaming, geek culture and more EVERY DAY of the week with host Kim Horcher and friends. Proudly part of the TYT Network.

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KIM:

EMMA:

[Verfault]

Trump and his cabinet Im sure believes in Climate change but think about it this way.. It would sound stupid to say "I believe in climate change yet Im going to keep drilling for oil because its making me money...."
Saying they believe in climate change hurts their wallet.

[jaimie]

I've been saying that we need a Science Party for years now. Whenever I mention it, people seem excited by the idea, but I have no idea how one would go about doing it. So I just keep saying it, hoping someone with some amount of influence will just run with it.

[amaurapond]

Even if you don't believe that climate change is real and happening, what is the harm of putting people in office who have both scientific and political experience? They'd be able to make more informed decisions on policies and are less likely to be held back by personal/religious bias.

[kokorosenshi]

Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson should totally run, they already have name recognition.

[Aaxzej]

If all people were educated enough using logic and facts then we would have Left Libertarians and Right Libertarians fighting for power.

I can even predict the names of an educated society and their political parties.

The Progressive Party for socialism.
The Liberal Party for capitalism.

[periculum]

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are doomed to be governed by those who are dumber." - Plato

[throughtheringer]

Its the middle of winter in SE Tn, 58 degrees and will rain for the next five days. Twenty years ago we had freezing temperatures and snow.

[BulletCliff]

Did Stephen Hawking ever find those aliens?

[adebrysi]

scientists and rational people should have been in government this whole time

[freethemindame]

to many Americans don't even know the difference between a fact and an opinion.

[nicodimus]

You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts.

[WatercatGaming]

The thing that really gets me annoyed is ok lets say there isn't climate change itself. alright well when you look at it fossil fuels are still bad for the surrounding environment. look at the smog china had even if it wasn't causing climate change the system still had to be changed so people could breathe better. Fossil fuels will get harder to get to making it more dangerous and expensive as we go. Even if we keep the fossil fuel industry because we have to for a while looking into renewable energy would still help us in the long run one day it could be just as expensive and then we will be behind because we never used it in a mass scale.

[johnmorris]

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
Plato

[oreoluwasanni]

Could the lip year be another reason why claimant changed is happening?

[crithon]

wasn't ted cruz trying to run to head NASA funding?

[joshuamarsella]

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Sure, Yes, This does not help the discussion when you keep cutting Kim off.

[stephaniemiles]

I think most scientists don't want to be in the business of popularity contests, fighting and restrictions from douchebag committees in suits. We just want to play in the labs and poke things to see what they do :-)
If other scientists are like me, that kind of public role is a heavy duty

[temujin]

Good luck. Understanding and discovering science and running for office appear to be two different skills. You need to be good at fucking with people.

Maybe they can find a niche of voters who directly evaluate what people say at face value.

[sirgerbilmacintosh]

Climate change sucks and 4 nerds and i'm a gerbil.

[discgolfer]

wow host is looking rough these days ...drugs maybe?