Nanotechnologist running for U.S. Congress
Bill McDonald brings to our attention the U.S. Congressional campaign of Mike Stopa, a Harvard nanotechnologist and physicist.
This is probably the first time that a nanotechnologist has run for Congress.
However, his profession may not get much attention, as his campaign is focusing on other issues.
It will be interesting to see whether, as a fiscal conservative, he favors or opposes federal spending on nanotech. Could be a tough decision for him!
As a 501(c)3 organization, Foresight does not support or oppose political candidates. —Chris Peterson
May 26th, 2010 at 7:23 PM
[...] the original here: Nanotechnologist running for U.S. Congress Posted in Nanotechnology Tags: campaign, foresight, get-much, harvard, his-campaign, [...]
May 27th, 2010 at 1:31 PM
[...] STOPA: A Tea Party candidate for Congress in Massachusetts. Via Chris Peterson who notes: “This is probably the first time that a nanotechnologist has run for [...]
May 27th, 2010 at 2:04 PM
RE federally spending on nanotech, federal funding of basic research I think is generally good, so long as its basic. Like the human genome project, or much of nanotech even today. Lots of public bang for the taxpayer buck there, in an area where private money is lacking since the payoff is too far off to survive corporate budget fights. When it gets nearer to applied research is when the politicians should ideally beg off, but unfortunately that’s where they want in so they can get a bigger thank-you from actual companies with larger numbers of employee-voters.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Hi Christine,
I have been a scientist (and, unfortunately, a geek) all of my life. Nanotechnology is that happy area of science where curiosity and utility thrive in close quarters. We all live to make something “novel” turn into something useful (and, if possible, lucrative…no apologies).
I have recently participated in an NSF workshop run by Mike Roco (probably the guy who coined the term “nanotechnology”) dedicated to determining what the next ten years of nanotechnology public (i.e. NSF) funding should be directed toward. Part of that is determining where the public/private funding border should be.
But the value, for the nation, of some level of public funding for nanotechnology is, in my opinion, clear.
You are absolutely right, however, my libertarian ideology is in tension with my public funding. But I long ago agreed to the government providing us with roads. This is not that much more of a stretch.
Thanks for the visibility. Please join us on Facebook too: Mike-Stopa-for-US-Rep. There’s a good video recently posted.
Cheers,
Mike
May 27th, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Mike Stoopa will be an excellent man in Congress. I pray that he will be elected and be part of our take back of our great country.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:06 PM
I wonder how well a scientist will be received by the anti-science party. And I wonder at what cost.
May 28th, 2010 at 2:54 PM
@ Mike Stopa — Thanks for clarifying your views on nanotech. Nothing wrong with being a geek on this site! I should mention that Mike Roco is definitely not the one who coined the term nanotechnology. It was used once in Japan very early, but the person who introduced the term into the English language is Eric Drexler.
–Chris Peterson
June 1st, 2010 at 8:25 AM
“I wonder how well a scientist will be received by the anti-science party.”
You’d rather he run with the anti-economics party?
June 1st, 2010 at 8:13 PM
Mike Stopa has extensive policy papers on his website. You can see him here singing joyful praise to Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aka97HmMPNw
–Laser Guy
June 1st, 2010 at 8:18 PM
Mike Stopa on Global Warming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFUgGZTjqaY
June 10th, 2010 at 12:28 PM
[...] was gobsmacked by a link I followed from a Foresight Institute posting about a nanotechnologist running for the US Congress. From the Foresight posting (which was kept rigidly nonpartisan), Bill McDonald brings to our [...]
June 12th, 2010 at 3:47 AM
Hello again. I wanted to post one more time. At this point I will note that the Foresight Institute is not a partisan or political organization. And these posts should in no way be seen as an endorsement by the institute. This information is on topic because the subject is himself a nano technologist. I myself am a physicist which is one of the main reasons I volunteered for the campaign.
Mike Stopa on ‘What Is Nano Technology’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rzEv6nhYeo
This was taken at a fund raiser. He was explaining the importance of nano science to laymen.