In their first presidential debate, John McCain confirmed his promised funding freeze, which includes funding for science and technology next year and perhaps beyond. Barack Obama argued strongly for increased support for science and education as critical for the future of the country. Do these differences matter? In a remarkable open letter, sixty-one Nobel laureates in science answer with a resounding "yes" and argue that an increase in support is essential if we are to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness. The U. S. still leads the world in science and innovation, but our lead in science investment and research output is diminishing alarmingly, threatening the future development of innovative new industries. McCain's promised freeze threatens to accelerate that dangerous trend. Many technical jobs in fields that originated here have already moved overseas to take advantage of the pools of well-educated talent available abroad. It will take great effort to turn this trend around. We must ensure that we have a strong scientific base, and place greater emphasis on scientific and technical education, job training and support for innovation, if our national and local economies are to prosper. Obama's proposed policies directly target the investments in these areas that will determine our future economic leadership. They are presented compactly under five broad headings at http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/FactSheetScience.pdf. These policies speak to our future and to yours. We encourage you to read them and act accordingly.
Bernice and Loyal Durand Professors of Physics Emeriti UW-Madison Cross Plains, WI
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