Sens. Mazie Hirono and Roger Wicker and Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Lamar Smith have proposed the position of Science Laureate of the United States.
It's obviously a great idea.
So, I'm moving on to propose the best candidate for position.
I nominate astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as U.S. Science Laureate for the following reasons.
1. He tirelessly seeks to bring science to the people, including through speaking engagements, books, TV shows, podcasts, and a great radio show, Star Talk. The latest episode is called "Cosmic Queries: Asteroids, Comets and Meteor Storms" and features music by the Foo Fighters.
2. He brashly touts human travel to Mars.
3. He's a cartoon hero:
4. He's fiercely pro-truth:
5. He makes science joyful:
Sen. Hirono says:
“Getting students and Americans of all ages excited about science, technology, engineering, and math won’t just help kids learn – it’s imperative to our ability to compete in the global economy."
Dr. Tyson is the person to do just that.
2:52 PM PT: I just discovered somebody else had this idea a year ago.