thescienceofrealities:

‘America can’t afford to lose its grip on science.’

“A monitor shows the first ultra-high-energy collisions at the European Organization for Nuclear Research.”

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Lisa Randall says U.S. has lost leadership in some parts of science
• The top research tool in her field of physics, the Large Hadron Collider, is in Europe
• She says many have lost faith in the value of scientific thinking
• Randall: Science provides a rigorous and open way for people to find the truth.

“Editor’s note: Lisa Randall is Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University. A physicist, Randall is the author of ”Knocking on Heaven’s Door.“ She was among Time Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People” of 2007.

(CNN) – On a recent visit to Barcelona, Spain, my local translator, who told me he was becoming increasingly interested in physics as he listened to my responses to reporters’ questions, commented that he couldn’t believe the biggest advances in my field will come not from America but from Europe – for him, an unexpected turn.

The Large Hadron Collider, the enormous machine that collides protons to study matter at higher energies and shorter distances than ever is in Europe (near Geneva, Switzerland) and not in America, where most important particle physics discoveries have taken place in the past. The European community has remained steadfastly supportive of this international enterprise and, unlike America of late, recognizes the importance of maintaining its scientific commitments.

If current political discussions are any indication, America is in danger not only of losing scientific leadership but also of losing respect for the scientific method itself. This is at a time when the type of clear and rational thinking that science teaches us is more relevant than ever. Given the challenging problems we face today, our country needs to embrace the scientific values that have served us so well.“

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