WEEKLY WHINE
Below are notes from the meeting to nominate the first ever Science Pope, or Scope.
The meeting was opened by a welcome and an admission that the name might require some work.
This was followed by presentations on each of the candidates named ahead of time.
Prof Hawking is probably the most famous living scientist. His work on cosmology, the physics of black holes, the history of the Universe, and many other astronomical subjects is legendary. But he is also very well known to the general public, as author of books such as A Brief History of Time, and a frequent guest on television programmes such as Futurama.
It was felt that a Hawking Science Papacy will hopefully inspire students around the world to study mathematics and science. Several members of the panel believed that it will be a crowning achievement for a man who has overcome great hurdles on his way to becoming one of the greatest minds of our time.
Dr Aldrin is best known as the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 11 mission and the second person to walk on the Moon. Since then he has remained in the public eye with film and television cameos.
The room generally believed that an Aldrin Science Papacy will promote space exploration. Many panellists were excited about his support for an ambitious programme of human exploration of space, something that they believe is sorely needed.
Dr Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He is also a familiar face, particularly amongst youngsters who watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. He has also hosted Nova Science Now and is currently working on an updated version of Carl Sagan’s 1980s series Cosmos.
The room felt that a Tyson Science Papacy will help, in the words of one panellist, “make science cool again”. [Another panellist, though, snarkily remarked, “When was it cool before?”] As Dr Tyson is a prominent advocate for NASA, the room believed that his selection would, as with Dr Aldrin, be a vital show of support for space exploration.
The floor was then opened to further nominations.
Mr Nye is best known for his 1990s television programme, Bill Nye the Science Guy. Since then, he has continued promoting scientific literacy and sustainability. It was thought that a Nye Science Papacy would place a high priority on those same topics.
Ms Williams is an astronaut with two stays on the International Space Station totalling nearly a year. She has a total of more than fifty hours of career EVA time, a record for female astronauts. The room considered her the most prominent woman in science and technology. A Williams Science Papacy, the room believed, would be a great boost to aspiring female scientists.
Mr Gore is best known as the vice president of the United States between 1993 and 2001 and as the losing candidate in the 2000 US presidential election. Today, of course, he is best known for his advocacy for action against global warming. A Gore Science Papacy would, in the opinion of the panel, be an introspective time that would hopefully inspire the public to think about its spending habits and how to make them more sustainable.
Mr Brown is the host of Iron Chef America, but a panellist nominated him for his work on Good Eats, a cooking programme that concentrates on the scientific processes of the culinary world. It was felt that Mr Brown was not a strong candidate, although the room did believe that one of the Science Pope’s responsibilities will be to encourage the application of scientific methods to other walks of life.
The Rev Sir Doctor Mos Def Colbert is best known as the host of The Colbert Report, a television programme that humourously comments on issues of the day. Though he claims not to be a fan of science, he has had a significant role in science and space exploration, with scientists such as Dr Tyson and astronauts such as Ms Williams appearing often on his programme. He is also the inspiration for the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill used on the International Space Station. The panel considered the Rev Sir Doctor Mos Def Colbert the strongest candidate amongst those nominated during the meeting.
The discussion period began with consideration of the Science Pope’s role in the world. It was agreed that the purposes of the position are:
The panel believed that the Science Pope should not try to be a “spiritual leader”, or some equivalent, for the world’s scientists and mathematicians. Rather, the Science Pope should be an advocate for science. The panel then considered some alternate titles, such as Prime Scientist or Scientist Laureate, but no consensus was reached, and the working title of Science Pope was retained.
Then, the panel discussed the candidates. It was quickly agreed that the strongest candidates were Prof Hawking, Dr Tyson, and the Rev Sir Doctor Mos Def Colbert. The room believed that all three of them would excel at each of the Science Pope’s three roles.
The panel then brought up the irony that Prof Hawking and Dr Tyson, well known opponents of organised religion, would be leading candidates for the position of Science Pope. The Rev Sir Doctor Mos Def Colbert, conversely, seemed to be a natural for the position. It was said that he would probably be most likely to want the position, though another panellist remarked that he wants any position and would state so on his programme, probably by holding his hand out and demanding, “Science Papacy, please!”
The session closed with a unanimous vote to nominate Prof Stephen Hawking, Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the Rev Sir Doctor Stephen T Mos Def Colbert, DFA to the position of Science Pope. The campaigning and selection process will proceed over the next several weeks, and we do hope to see you there.
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