Standing Up For Science

March 7th is a national day of action. Join us!

Next Saturday, March 7th, Stand Up For Science, is hosting a national day of action in Washington, DC and throughout the country to save science, protect health, and defend democracy from the Epstein Administration.

Stand Up For Science is a political activism organization dedicated to defending and advancing America’s scientific ecosystem, a cornerstone of democracy, freedom, and progress.

Founded in February 2025, the organization came together in response to the regime’s:

“dismantling of our nation’s premier science institutions and escalating threats to the lives and livelihoods of Americans. We recognized these attacks for what they are: authoritarian powergrabs.

We believe that science is the lifeblood of American democracy and freedom. With a bold strategy combining activism, messaging campaigns, grassroots organizing, and political advocacy, we’re mobilizing the fight for science and democracy, now and for generations to come.”

I checked the organization’s site only to discover that no one in Minnesota is hosting a Stand Up For Science protest.

That’s a damn shame.

So I signed us up.

Same place, same time. All you need to do is show up as you usually do with a sign that stands up for science!

Science Is Not a Luxury. It’s the Infrastructure of Civilization.

When was the last time science made your life better?

If you answered, “I don’t know,” that’s actually the point.

Science works so well, so quietly, so consistently, that we forget it’s there at all. Like oxygen. Or electricity. Or the Wi-Fi router you panic about when it flickers.

We don’t notice science when it’s functioning.
We only notice when it’s undermined.

And that’s why this moment matters.

The Obvious Stuff (That We Take for Granted)

Let’s begin where it’s easiest.

Vaccines. Antibiotics. Surgical techniques. Cancer therapies. MRI machines. Clean water systems. Food safety standards.

In 1900, life expectancy in the United States hovered around 47 years. Today it’s nearly 80. That didn’t happen because we crossed our fingers. It happened because researchers asked questions, ran experiments, challenged assumptions, and followed evidence wherever it led.

Science turned childbirth from a gamble into a routine procedure.
It turned bacterial infections from a death sentence into a prescription.
It turned pandemics from unstoppable waves into containable crises.

And here’s the key: None of that was accidental.

It was funded.
It was defended.
It was prioritized.

The Economic Engine No One Sees

Now zoom out.

The internet? Born from federally funded research.

GPS? A U.S. government scientific breakthrough that now underpins everything from farming to emergency response to your Uber ride.

Semiconductors. Aerospace engineering. Climate modeling. Agricultural science.

Science is not some abstract ivory-tower hobby. It is the foundation of American economic power.

Every logistics company using GPS.
Every hospital using digital records.
Every farmer using precision agriculture.
Every business relying on weather forecasting.

Science is the operating system of the American economy.

Undermine it, and you don’t just “own the libs.”
You undercut your own infrastructure.

National Security Isn’t Magic. It’s Math.

Radar. Cryptography. Aerospace engineering. Cybersecurity. Epidemiology.

Scientific inquiry built the defensive backbone of the United States. The reason hurricanes are tracked. The reason bridges don’t collapse under normal loads. The reason aircraft can cross oceans safely.

Science keeps Americans alive in ways that rarely make headlines…until something fails.

The Real Issue: Science as a Democratic Safeguard

Here’s what this moment is really about.

Science is not just a collection of facts. It is a method. A discipline. A commitment to evidence over ideology.

The scientific method says:

• Test your assumptions.

• Invite scrutiny.

• Publish your data.

• Revise your conclusions when proven wrong.

Sound familiar?

That’s democracy.

Democracy works when we argue from evidence.
When institutions are transparent.
When power is checked by facts.

When science is attacked, defunded, censored, or politicized, it isn’t just research that suffers. It’s the feedback loop that keeps democracy healthy.

Authoritarian systems don’t like inconvenient data. They prefer loyalty over evidence. Narrative over numbers. Deference over scrutiny.

That’s not how America became the most innovative nation in history.

Minnesota Should Be in This Fight

I was genuinely surprised to see no Minnesota location on the national list.

We are home to world-class medical innovation. Agricultural leadership. Engineering talent. Research universities. A biotech ecosystem that feeds the global economy.

And yet…no rally?

That felt wrong.

Because this isn’t a coastal issue. It isn’t partisan. It isn’t niche.

If you drive a car.
If you’ve ever taken antibiotics.
If you check the weather before a snowstorm.
If you want your kids to live longer, healthier lives.

You benefit from science.

So What Are We Actually Standing Up For?

We’re standing up for:

• Evidence-based policymaking

• Public health infrastructure

• Research funding

• Academic freedom

• Transparency in government science

• The next generation of scientists who deserve opportunity, not political interference

We’re standing up for the idea that facts matter.

That data matters.

That truth is not negotiable.

Here’s the Bottom Line

Civilization is not self-executing.

It requires maintenance.
Investment.
Vigilance.

Science is not a luxury line item. It is the plumbing, wiring, and structural engineering of modern life.

You can’t dismantle it without consequences.

So next Saturday, bring a sign. Bring your voice. Bring your curiosity. Bring your belief that America works best when it follows evidence instead of ego.

Same place. Same time.

Let’s stand up for science.

Because when you really think about it, we’re standing up for ourselves.

Science In Plain English

I read a lot of computer science papers to try and stay on top of the latest developments in artificial intelligence but I gotta confess, most of it is way over my head.

A lot of math. I’m language guy.

So I throw them into ChatGPT and ask it to explain it to me in plain English.

The problem is the arcane language of scientific literature that has developed since The Enlightenment and as the field of scientific inquiry has exploded makes reading scientific papers inscrutable for the average person.

That’s why I appreciate scientists who can write for a popular audience and can explain things clearly.

Stephen Jay Gould is one of my favorite science writers. His focus is paleontology. But we’ve got Carl Sagan, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. We just need more of them.

Conversely, we don’t do a very good job in America teaching the basics of the scientific method. Or even how to talk about science. Thankfully, the good folks at Stand Up For Science have produced a webinar that teaches us how to do just that:

And for those of you who made it this far, here’s a sneak peak of a song I created for the occassion, (with more genres here: Stand Up For Science).

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of 212 by Reform Street.)

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.