![Figure][1] CREDIT: DIGITAL VISION/THINKSTOCK I applaud and admire B. Alberts's long-time advocacy for science education and the engagement of scientists with their communities, but his Editorial “Policy-making needs science” (3 December 2010, p. [1287][2]) leaves out one essential activity. Scientifically trained individuals need to enter political office. Thoughtful National Academy documents have no impact when ideology is the rule of the land. All of our advocacy and all of our reports will not affect the bottom line if those massive efforts can be thwarted by a single vote cast by a single official. Therefore, in addition to improved science education, our society needs people trained in the scientific process and scientific thinking to serve in the political arena, not just as advisers, but as the actual policy-makers at the local, state, and federal level. This can only happen if the scientific community supports such career ambitions. As Carl Sagan said, “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge” ([ 1 ][3]). It is that way of thinking that we need in the minds of those casting votes critical for our future. 1. [↵][4] 1. C. Sagan , Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science (Random House, New York, 1979), p. 13. [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1200613 [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text