Same but different

In some ways, not much has changed from 4 years ago. Donald Trump is running for US president and saying outrageous things: This year’s standout is that magnets don’t work under water, which sent scientists into a tizzy and no doubt spawned many home experiments. Democrats are talking more sensibly about science but also avoiding a discussion of their disappointing record on backing up promises to increase funding for US science and technology. But many things are different with this November’s election. Four years ago, COVID-19 was the top issue, which made science the centerpiece of discussion. Now, the top issue is the economy, and science has been left once again on the back burner with only an occasional foray into climate science or social science studies on issues like abortion and gun control.