I applaud the American Cancer Society for all they do to eradicate smoking. Their local state and national efforts help to discourage young people from taking up this deadly habit and the resources they provide have helped numerous smokers quit.

It is rather a problem of how to secure the best use of resources known to any of the members of society for ends whose relative importance only those individuals know.

In my view there is nothing more vicious and outrageous than the abuse exploitation and harm of the most vulnerable members of our society and I firmly believe that our nation's laws and resources need to reflect the seriousness of these terrible crimes.

Since coming to Congress I have been advocating for increased resources for research in the physical sciences and for the Department of Energy Office of Science in particular.

It does not just happen. It is disclosed by science that practically one-half of trained intellectual resources are being mobilized for murderous purposes.

But man has still another powerful resource: natural science with its strictly objective methods.

We need to tap the resource of current and retiring science and math professionals that have both content mastery and the practical experience to serve as effective teachers.

Modern science then so far from being an enemy of romance is seen on every hand to be its sympathetic and resourceful friend its swift and irresistible helper in its serious need and an indulgent minister to its lighter fancies.

In Israel a land lacking in natural resources we learned to appreciate our greatest national advantage: our minds. Through creativity and innovation we transformed barren deserts into flourishing fields and pioneered new frontiers in science and technology.

I am one of those scientists who feels that it is no longer enough just to get on and do science. We have to devote a significant proportion of our time and resources to defending it from deliberate attack from organised ignorance.