Science & Politics

Science and politics have always overlapped into each other, especially in the case of science related problems. One issue that is very important currently is stem-cell research, which deals with special stem cells that can be grown into specialized human cells and can be used for cloning and treatment of diseases including as leukemia, other types of cancer, Parkinson's Disease, and muscle damage. However, this research become very controversial because, when dealing with embryonic stem cells, sometimes the embryo must be destroyed. This has been protested extremely by pro-life supporters, and is now a common debate among politicians. One of the first political interventions was in 1995, when Congress passed a bill in which there was an amendment that prohibited federal funds to be used for research where human embryos would be either created or destroyed. Even recently, President Obama lifted the restrictions placed on federal funding of stem cell research in the US.



Another common science-related topic in politics has been global warming. One example is how Al Gore, former vice-president-turned-environmental-activist, raised awareness through the very popular documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth", and he was actually pushed to run for president multiple times once more; there was also speculation about him joining Obama's administration. "An Inconvenient Truth" won the Academy Award for best documentary, and in 2007, he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his efforts to build up and spread more knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract that change. Politics seems to have intervened in science mostly when it can get politicians more support.