Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Defends the Utility of Scientific Conferences. (February 28, 2013)

Congressman Rush Holt, physicist turned Democratic member of the US House of Representatives addressing a hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in a written submission told his fellow representatives yesterday: "As a scientist, I know firsthand how important scientific conferences and meetings are. The informal conversations, as well as the formal presentations and poster sessions that go into a conference among scientists from different institutions lead to new collaborations that have the promise of new discoveries. These are not fancy junkets.

"Many of the insights that have driven our understanding of science forward in recent years have been possible only through the collaboration of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of scientists scattered across the globe," Holt said. "But the fact remains that many insights are possible only because of close, personal interactions among scientists who see each other regularly: those who do not work at the same university or laboratory must rely on interacting with each other at conferences. Proximity matters, in science as in every other field."

He then asked rhetorically: "Would you propose that the legislative branch -- you and I -- remain in 435 separate locations never to see each other, communicating and voting by email? It could save hundreds of expensive trips each week to do that, but don't you think the country would be worse for it?"