is definitely President of the United States of America, it was inspiring to hear the man say to a listening world that his administration ‘…will restore science to its rightful place’. The BBC reports that scientists are optimistic about President Obama.

Of course, we have all heard politicians give undertakings of this kind before. And we have equally seen politicians then ignore them. President Obama makes this undertaking at a time when the economy of his country is in a parlous state, which is not the 51st state the Union would have wished for.

Science is a more expensive undertaking now than when £500 would take a young naturalist on a five year circumnavigation. That sum would not now purchase a quarter of a machine to undertake polymerase chain reactions. While mortgages are being foreclosed, automobile manufacturers are asking for large quantities of money and banks are in trouble, it will a brave President who will pledge large sums of federal funds to support science. It will also be a far-sighted President who pledges money to support science.

President Obama could start cheaply by continuing the tone set in his Inauguration Address and forbidding state education boards attempting to have creationism or its degraded offspring intelligent design taught in science classes as recently happened in Louisiana.

A great deal has been written about President Obama’s election, and it would be otiose of me to raise a glass in his direction when the ever excellent Dr. Revere at Effect Measure does it with such eloquence in this post. The post ends with a truly splendid song.