There is an interesting article in Slate regarding the political affiliations of scientists. 55% are Dems. 32% are independents. Only 6% are Republicans and the rest don’t know their affiliation. The author bemoans this fact as adding to polarization in this country, and sounds like he wants more active recruitment of Republicans into the sciences.
Well, I see a big problem with that. The core Republican party is about 25% of the population. And it has become an theocratic party filled with Young Earth Creationists and people who deny evolution, and some who think relativity is a liberal plot. Sort of tough to become a serious scientist with fundamentally stupid notions like that.
And usually when fundamentalists meet reality and decide to accept reality they tend to become more small l liberal, and are unable to feel comfortable in a party that seems to be Christinist on every level.
While it is true that science shouldn’t be tied to party — look how well Communist science worked out for Russia when Lysenko decided a genetic role in evolution was incorrect, and the party bosses backed his position by sending opponents to the Gulag — I think it’s only natural that people in the sciences will gravitate away from the party of Creationism Theme parks.
