This is a letter from President Barack Obama to launch a Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.  I’m very grateful to have a president who can understand and support science and scientific findings.  President Obama’s interest and support in the sciences couldn’t have come at a better time.  Many new sciences are emerging.  They have been - and will continue to shape the world we live in.  Because of this, we need our political leaders to be very involved in the scientific community. 

Politicians are “receiver-oriented” speakers, and care about how the recipient of the message (you and me) will interpret their messages.  Scientists on the other hand are generally “source-oriented”, and therefore come from a position of objective findings.  They know their facts and observations and they shouldn’t have to sell anyone on facts.  Politicians are gifted at delivering messages to the ignorant public, because if they aren’t, they won’t last as long in the public eye. 

Elections are won by public appearances and personal outreach.   Science is generally not sold as marketable information as political discussion and topics are.

I highly recommend a book called Unscientific America.  I’m reading it now.  Very good read.  Very important insight as to how our country became so ignorant and indifferent to science.