Secretary of Energy
11/12/08 13:43 Filed in: General Science
I am happy today.
It is rare a politician does something I approve of. Our “esteemed” governor of Illinois sets the bar pretty low in terms of what I expect from political figures. However, the news last night brought some sunshine to the state of science in America due to our new president elect. For the last several weeks I’ve been listening for the appointments, and in particular waiting for the one that impacts my line of work the most, the Secretary of Energy. There have been several politicians names in the media. Some of them I dislike, while others evoke a more ambivalent reaction. However, I never thought I’d actually feel inspired by the choice.
Last night it was announced that Steven Chu has been asked by Obama to head up the Department of Energy. I think very highly of them man and his work. Chu won the Nobel prize in physics about 10 years ago for some very cleaver work with atoms and light(describing the work as “cool” would be too poor of a pun). He’s also had a large interest biophysics and polymers. As a scientist, his contributions are immense. Over the past few years he has been the director of Berkeley National Laboratory. While I’ve since gone to Argonne to work, my view (though as an outsider) of his job at the helm of that lab has been largely positive. And that’s especially true in light of the funding and other problems DoE labs have faced in the past several years. When times are tough, making even the correct decision is going to upset many people. Despite that, he’s come through doing quite well.
I’ve heard a little talk of his lack of political experience. While it’s true that he’s not a Senator (though I hear we have a position for sale here in Illinois), being a professor (at Stanford no less) and then being the captain of one of the strongest national labs certainly entails some knowledge of the rules of politics. He has also had his hat in the public arena on energy issues and the environment for a number of years. Add to those his intelligence and work ethic, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better person.
Do I think that magically all the DoE’s problems will be solved over night? Will everyone return to work with adequate funding immediately? Sadly no. It may take several years before the effects of this are truly felt. However, despite the time it may take, I think this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Lastly, this is the kind of the thing that could have some very long reaching consequences beyong Steven Chu. The precedent has been set of positioning a real scientist with firsthand knowledge of energy research to head the department of energy. Depending upon how well Chu performs in this job, future appointments to this position may also follow suit. (I can hope can’t I?)
One afterthought that I’ve been having is a little unusual and fun. I’ve heard him speak several times (mostly research talks) and spoken to him (though briefly) during one of his visits to U of Washington when I was a graduate student. It’s an odd thought to think that I’ve exchanged email with the (probable) future head of the Department of Energy. That’s a first for me, and probably a first for many scientists (sadly not just young ones such as myself).