Embassy Programs and Events

U.S. Embassy Encourages Study of Science

January 17, 2006

I am very happy to be here with you today to celebrate science and learning, and to honor a group of students who have distinguished themselves with their scientific knowledge. The U.S. Embassy is proud to partner with the Lebanese National Network SciLeb team to encourage the study and appreciation of science. I am proud, also, that the U.S. National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory and Rice University, Texas are able to support this series of activities.

I think if I hold up this $100 bill, most of you will recognize it, and I hope you will also recognize the face on the bill as that of Benjamin Franklin. But what you may not know is that January 17, a few days from now, will be the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth. Those of you who are students of American history, may well know the vital role that Benjamin Franklin played in the birth of the United States of America. He was present for the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; the 1778 signing of the Treaty of Alliance with France; the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended hostilities with Britain, and the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1789.

But, what you may not know is that Benjamin Franklin was also a great scientist. He is most famous for his work about electricity, arguably the most important scientific breakthrough of the 18th century. Some of you may associate him with the popular image of a man flying a kite that was struck by lighting. In this 1752 experiment, documented in his book, Experiments and Observations on Electricity, he confirmed that lighting is an electrical phenomenon. In doing so, he opened to the scientific world the idea that electricity might be a valuable field of study, leading ultimately to many of the everyday applications of electricity used by people all over the world today.

Benjamin Franklin had an amazing mind. He is credited with promoting the idea of America’s first public lending library, America’s first nonreligious college and our first national newspaper. He invented everything from musical instruments to bifocals to the Franklin stove and documented the Gulf Stream. He invented the catheter and formulated theories about the circulation of blood in humans.

The United States of America was not yet born, but already Benjamin Franklin embodied what would become a hallmark of America--a spirit of experimentation, inquiry, discovery, and learning. And, “old Europe” honored him for his achievements, electing him as a fellow of both the British and French academies of science.

Benjamin Franklin has been called the “model of a civic scientist” and he used his understanding of science both to influence policy and practices and to help the public understand how science played a role in their lives.

I hope that among the audience (and I mean the girls, too) today are some Lebanese Benjamin Franklins—inquiring minds interested in seeking to better understand the world, and its natural phenomena. Benjamin Franklin’s work, two centuries ago, helped Americans live more comfortably, in better health and with a better understanding of the world around them. I hope some of you here today will build on his scientific studies, and do the same to contribute to Lebanon and the world of science.

But in addition to being a great scientist, Benjamin Franklin was also a great patriot who did much to help the American colonies achieve their independence from Great Britain. He argued vociferously against British interference in the political life of the American colonists. He published essays decrying the injustice of British troops being quartered in American homes and of the right of American colonists to protest British actions they believed unjust. And his efforts contributed to the realization of this vision of a democratic and sovereign United States of America during his life time.

Benjamin Franklin can inspire as all with his zeal for learning and discovery and his commitment to achieving his vision for an independent, democratic and sovereign America. I challenge you all here to be inspired by Benjamin Franklin and apply your energies, education and talents to learn and explore more, and to work to achieve the independent, democratic and sovereign Lebanon that you desire and deserve.

Today, let me congratulate all of you for your participation in the 2005 Rice Science Tournament. Although not all of you will receive a prize today, you should feel pride in your participation and satisfaction that you learned something new. I hope this experience will benefit not only you and your school, but that these knowledge and skills you be applied to help build a strong, sovereign and united Lebanon, with prospects for peace and prosperity. Congratulations.