Never before in human history has our lives been so influenced by science. Our civilization is now sustainable only because of it. If we could somehow magically forget all science and its consequences, the death and famine that would ensue would be catastrophic.
What is disturbing is despite its importance, Americans are highly distrustful of science. The issues of stem cells, genetically modified organisms, and nuclear power are just a few of the many hot button issues. Many Americans are scientifically and mathematically illiterate. The worst part about it is that this is socially acceptable. I think about my university where it will not admit someone who cannot read, but an otherwise qualified candidate that cannot do basic algebra can be admitted.
Being illiterate is an embarrassment, but not being able to add fractions is considered all right. This is because, according to many, "math is hard". While I admit it is not the easiest subject and I do not expect people to be able to do calculus, I find it distressing that you can be simultaneously educated and lack basic mathematical skills. Of course, the same is true for science as well. This is in spite of how vital it is to our survival as a species.
Even worse, many of our leaders lack even the basic grasp of the scientific method and its basic results. This failure to understand has led to the cult of Creationism that takes up a large portion of the American public. Despite this, I find an encouraging sign is Barrack Obama's response to the Science Debate 2008 questions. They are surprisingly detailed and thoughtful demonstrating the candidates (or at least his advisors who likely helped craft the responses) deep understanding of scientific issues. McCain has yet to answer the questions and I look forward to his responses.
That being said, McCain's choice of Sarah Palin is disturbing to me. Her stances on Creationism being taught in the classroom are quite disturbing to me. Such anti-science policies have not served us well in the last 8 years. Add to this her inexperience. Yes, while Obama has a thin resume as well, he has proven his astutenes on the campaign trail, defeated the powerful Clinton machine, procured 18 million votes nationally, and was well received by world leaders. Palin, an appointee, has yet to demonstrate any of this and her thoughts (or lack thereof) on he Iraq war are also a grim sign. Nonetheless, she is still an unknown quantity. Hopefully, all of this will become clear in the weeks ahead.
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