In the face of irrational opposition, it's time for the scientific community to have its own bumper sticker

SCIENCE is under assault. In the US and throughout the world, rhetoric about evolution, stem cells, global warming and other controversial and cutting-edge technologies often transcends legitimate disagreement to challenge the work of scientists.

Less visible is the community of those who believe deeply in the integrity of the endeavour, who defend the need for rigorous objectivity in politics and education, and who – even if they are sympathetic to religion or religious themselves – believe in the need for clear jurisdictional boundaries between religion, ideology and science.

They are passionate about science and see themselves as sharing a mission to defend the enterprise. Yet they lack a sign of their position, something that could unite their effort – in short, a symbol that stands for science, in much the same way as the Christian fish symbol declares adherence to that faith on car bumpers worldwide.

A single, unified symbol would have many uses. It could be displayed to represent a position: opposition to the politicising of science in government, support for increased research spending, or concern about global warming and species loss. It could be displayed by an astronomer or geologist or sociologist or teacher as a symbol of their allegiance to science. It could be used on car bumpers and web pages, and in public venues.


It should be simple and versatile, instantly recognisable and encompass all of science – a double helix alone, say, won’t do as it does not take in astronomy or particle physics.

It should be recognisable and encompass all of science – a double helix alone won’t do

And it should be easy to modify, perhaps to identify a subject area – able to accommodate within it a double helix, or an atom, or the word NASA, or any other refinement locating the bearer in the scientific firmament. Perhaps it could even accommodate a cross or star of David or some other symbol to state: “I am a Christian (or Jew or Muslim) and support science as an enterprise.”

This symbolic unifier is what I propose. And I hope that, by proposing it, ideas will be offered and debated, and that a symbol, acceptable to all, will take shape and be adopted by all who defend science as a means of understanding our world.