ScienceDebate2008: Twelfth Nobel Laureate, Second University President, First GOP Governor, and Jamie Thomson

While Sheril is riling up the geeks, I thought I'd provide the first of what I'm sure will be many updates this week on the ScienceDebate2008 endeavor.

There's immensely heartening news, anywhere you look. The op-ed by myself and Lawrence Krauss announcing this project has now appeared in major papers across the country: The Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Charlotte Observer, and Newsday. Our ever-growing Facebook group is nearing 2,000 members. And though I cannot give a precise number at the moment, I do know for certain that many, many more people than that have signed up to support the cause through our website.

But honesty, I'm most inspired by the fact that we continue to draw major, major endorsers. Consider who we've added to the list of distinguished signatories just this week:

Richard H. Brodhead, President, Duke University

Arne H. Carlson, R-MN, Former Governor of Minnesota

Father George Coyne, Director Emeritus, Vatican Observatory

David Politzer, The Tolman Professor of Theoretical Physics, CalTech, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004

James Thomson, John D. MacArthur Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and a faculty member of the Genome Center of Wisconsin; stem cell pioneer

Not bad, eh? More updates soon...I know a lot of folks are anxious to know where this project is headed next, and how we plan to make a debate really happen. And while I can't disclose all of our plans at this precise point, there is much more to say.

In the meantime, though, I can certainly say this....it is exceedingly important that AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE SIGN UP TO SUPPORT THIS CAUSE. So please, continue to spread the word....