I want to share an excerpt from a recent interview with the incoming president of the American Physical Society (2007), Leo Kadanoff:

I believe that what we are facing in the United States, and probably in many other countries, is a crisis. Many people who feel that they’re educated don’t really know anything about science. They also don’t really know anything about how the world works. They’re not fully able to think logically and form conclusions based on the evidence. I’d like to see evidence-based thought more commonplace among the educated population. Science can play an important role in helping people think logically. There is a perception among the public that science is mainly important because it produces drugs and medical benefits. In my view, science is important because it enables us to better understand the world. In addition, science brings large long run effects on the quality of life, which tend to be ignored in the short-ranged thinking endemic to individuals, businesses and governments.

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