View larger version | Last December, then President-elect Obama explained his attitude toward science. It’s to see “that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology.” Promoting science is “about listening to what our scientists have to say,” he added, “even when it’s inconvenient — especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the United States, and I could not have a better team to guide me in this work.” Credit: From Left: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; John F. Kennedy School of Government/Harvard University; AP (Lubchenco and Varmus); Rick Friedman/Corbis