President Barack Obama's inauguration speech has been examined syllable by syllable to discern the policies of his administration. Its rhetoric is noble and soaring, its rhythms Biblical, its references inspiring. But of references to stem cell research or abortion, the two most controversial bioethics issues in his campaign, not a word.

The closest he came was a clear hint that he will esteem science and scientists: “We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.” None of these, especially the notion of lowering the cost of health care, seems to apply to stem cell research. Inasmuch as drawing Americans together was a major theme of the eagerly-awaited inaugural speech, he may have wished to skip over the divisive issue of abortion.

Most American scientists are confident that the Obama years will be friendly to science. "My administration will value science. We will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that facts demand bold action," Obama said at the nomination of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, a climate-change technology advocate, as the next secretary of Energy.

Not everyone views the Bush years with disdain. The former president's science adviser, John H. Marburger III, told USA Today: "When you consider the real behavior, as opposed to the symbols, the past eight years have been good for science." He points out that the budget of the National Institutes of Health doubled to about $28 billion in 2004.