THERE’s an old saying that people who like sausage should not watch how it is made. In Washington, cynical policy wonks say the same about people who like legislation. Certainly anybody committed to rational thought will experience a certain queasiness at the sight of legislators twisting science to fit their Procrustean beds of political or religious ideology.
And where ideology cannot win out over science, money certainly can. Congressional support for the “big science” project known as the International Space Station is strong not only because the ISS might deliver fantastic scientific dividends – a prospect even ardent supporters have…
