The following article originally ran in the Commentary Section of the Champaign Urbana News-Gazette on July 8, 2012. For those of you not local to central Illinois, the Congressional district in which the University resides (IL-13) has an open seat. The candidates for the seat are Rodney Davis (R) and David Gill (D).
Our next congressman can be a champion of science
By Kevin Pitts
The next representative of the Illinois 13th Congressional District, whether it is Rodney Davis or David Gill, has a tremendous opportunity to lead our nation into a new scientific revolution. Congress lacks strong leadership on issues related to science and technology, and the new representative from this district could easily fill that need.
On July 4, scientists working at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland announced the discovery of the Higgs Boson. This discovery marks a tremendous scientific and technical achievement. Scientists around the world, including those of us working at Fermilab in northern Illinois, have been in pursuit of the Higgs for more than three decades. This discovery took place at a European facility, but U.S. scientists, including physicists from the University of Illinois, work on the CERN experiments.
The day of the discovery, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted, “On the day we reserve to tell ourselves America is great – July 4 – Europe reminds us that we suck at science.” Tyson doesn’t believe that our scientists suck at science, but he knows that the United States has reduced its emphasis and investments in science and technology. He also knows that our country can no longer consider itself a global leader in science.
By itself, the fact that this momentous discovery took place in Europe is not a problem. Science is now a global endeavor and we can’t expect the United States to lead on every single experiment in every area of research. However, the fact that this discovery took place overseas is a symptom of the weakening scientific research effort in the United States.
Most of our economic growth in the 20th century can be directly attributed to scientific breakthroughs. Our quality of life is a consequence of scientific advancement. Your iPhone is hundreds of times more powerful than the entire Apollo spacecraft guidance system. Particle accelerators, derived directly from scientific research, are a staple of every hospital as a crucial form of cancer treatment.
Past scientific accomplishments in the United States were made thanks to a serious national investment. The long term economic health of the U.S. will depend upon science and technology. Without an investment today, we won’t see the economic benefits tomorrow. The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recently reported that our country needs one million additional college graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) over the next decade in order to be competitive in a global economy. By providing a strong investment in our research infrastructure, we make discoveries that excite the next generation and motivate them to study in STEM fields.
A renewed national investment is possible, but we need leadership. Progress is made in Congress when an issue has a champion, someone willing to educate their colleagues and describe a vision for the future. The next representative of the Illinois 13th Congressional District, regardless of party affiliation, will be an ideal person to fill that role. The district is home to a significant number of high tech companies, a technology-driven agricultural industry and many conventional and renewable energy producers. The district is also home to several colleges and universities, including the University of Illinois, one of the top public research institutions in the world.
Voters should ask the 13th District candidates where they stand on issues related to science and technology. With a renewed investment in science, research and education, the 13th district can benefit and America can again lead the world. We can proudly claim the next major discovery as our own and take advantage of the economic impact derived from that discovery.
Kevin Pitts is a professor of physics at the University of Illinois.
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