Issues in Science and Technology articles from September 2007

Issues in Science and Technology archives from September 2007

Science policy matters.(FORUM)
September 22, 2007... Daniel Sarewitz asks, "Does Science Policy Matter?" (Issues, Summer 2007). The answer is "absolutely yes." In a high-tech global economy, science and technology are indispensable to maintaining America's economic edge. In fact, historically,...

Science education for parents.(FORUM)(Brief article)
September 22, 2007... Rep. Bart Gordon has been a champion of science and math in Congress, and we agree completely that the necessary first step in any competitiveness agenda is to improve science and math education ("U.S. Competitiveness: The Education...

Large effects of nanotechnology.
September 22, 2007... Ronald Sandler and Christopher J. Bosso call attention to the opportunity afforded to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to address the broad societal effects of what is widely anticipated to be a transformative technology ("Tiny...

The importance of community colleges.
September 22, 2007... I appreciate the invitation to respond to James E. Rosenbaum, Julie Redline, and Jennifer L. Stephan's "Community College: The Unfinished Revolution" (Issues, Summer 2007). I will focus my remarks on how the U.S. Department of Education is...

Data-driven policy.
September 22, 2007... In "The Promise of Data-Driven Policymaking" (Issues, Summer 2007), Daniel Esty and Reece Rushing describe the U.S. health system as ripe for the improved use of aggregated information in support of better policy and clinical decisions. Let me...

Where's the water?
September 22, 2007... If there is a flaw in David Molden, Charlotte De Fraiture, and Frank Rijsberman's "Water Scarcity: The Food Factor" (Issues, Summer 2007) and in the seminal encyclopedic comprehensive assessment from which it is drawn, it is in the pervasive...

Better transparency for a cleaner environment.
September 22, 2007... The United States was once the world forerunner in the development of pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs). Its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), launched in the mid-1980s and continuously upgraded, was the first example of how...

Science's social effects.
September 22, 2007... As with many policies, fulfilling their intent is a matter of enforcement. The National Science Foundation (NSF), with its decentralized directorate/division/program structure, supports the "broader impacts" criterion unevenly at best. This...

Universities as innovators.
September 22, 2007... "... a hitter should be measured by his success in that which he is trying to do... create runs. It is startling... how much confusion there is about this. I find it remarkable that, in listing offenses, the league will list first--meaning...

President Bush signs competitiveness bill.(FROM THE HILL)(George W. Bush)
September 22, 2007... On August 9, President Bush signed into law the bipartisan America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272), aimed at bolstering basic research and education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to ensure the nation's continued economic...

Climate bills address competitiveness concerns.(FROM THE HILL)
September 22, 2007... Several bills have been introduced in the Senate aimed at alleviating concerns about the potential impact that addressing climate change could have on U.S. economic competitiveness. Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Arlen Specter (R-PA)...

Confrontation looms on R & D budget.(FROM THE HILL)
September 22, 2007... The Senate and House are poised to add billions of dollars above the president's budget request to the FY 2008 R & D budget, with much of the proposed new funding targeted for environmental, energy, and biomedical initiatives, according to an...

Energy bills face veto threat.(FROM THE HILL)
September 22, 2007... After a contentious debate, the House passed two energy bills on August 4, but the bills will now have to be reconciled with a Senate bill that has different provisions and will face a veto from President Bush, who said the bills "are not...

Ethanol: train wreck ahead? Government policy is stoking unsustainable growth of the corn-based fuel. A more sober, diversified approach is needed.(PERSPECTIVES)
September 22, 2007... The new vogue in energy policy is plant-derived alternative fuels. Corn-based ethanol, and to a lesser extent oilseed-based biodiesel, have emerged from the margins to take center stage. However, although ethanol and biodiesel will surely play...

How to fix our dam problems: thousands of aging dams should be repaired or destroyed, at a cost of billions. A cap-and-trade policy could speed the process and help pay the bills.
September 22, 2007... California is the world's eighth largest economy and generates 13% of U.S. wealth. Yet Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says high temperatures, low rainfall, and a growing population have created a water crisis there. A third of the state is in...

The global tour of innovation policy: innovation does not take place in a laboratory.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... It occurs in a complex web of activities that transpire in board rooms and court rooms, in universities and coffee shops, on Wall St. and on Main St., and it is propelled by history, culture, and national aspirations. Innovation must be...

Polishing Belgium's innovation jewel: although Flanders is already one of world's most prosperous and productive regions, the government sees opportunities to enhance its performance.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... Situated in the northern part of Belgium, the Flanders region is a natural meeting point for knowledge and talent, attracted by its highly skilled population, splendid cultural heritage, outstanding quality of life, excellent research, and easy...

Mexico's innovation cha-cha: the country has taken some encouraging steps toward strengthening its science and technology capacity, but it retreats when it comes to providing adequate resources and following through on implementation.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... Like many nations, Mexico has been making an effort to increase its investment in R & D and in scientific manpower. But although Mexico's investment in science has grown significantly in absolute terms during the past few decades, the country...

Indian innovation: action on many fronts; Creativity, flexibility, and adaptation are the keys to success of this fast-growing giant.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... Because India is so large and so diverse and because change is occurring at such a rapid pace, it is impossible to talk about a single innovation policy. Conditions vary widely among technologies, among industries and among regions. For...

Excelsior: the Korean innovation story; By making continuous and massive investments in human resource development and R & D, Korea has succeeded in building a unique innovation system.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... When Korea launched its industrialization drive in the early 1960s, it was a typical developing country, with poor resource and production bases, a small domestic market, and a large population dependent on foreign powers for national security....

The chrysanthemum meets the eagle: Japanese and U.S. innovation policies have been co-evolving since the 19th century.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... The interplay of U.S. and Japanese innovation policy began in the mid-19th century when Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay in 1853. The Japanese witnessed the technological power of a modern navy and the strategic implications of government...

The post-scientific society: although science and technology will continue to play a vital role in innovation, the critical ingredients for continued U.S. economic success are likely to come from other disciplines.(Global Innovation)
September 22, 2007... The United States is blessed with an extraordinarily successful system for the generation and application of innovation, as evidenced by its world leadership over the past half century or more in developing and putting to use new technologies...

Global trends in R & D spending.(REAL NUMBERS)
September 22, 2007... Several years of economic growth have benefited investment in science, technology, and innovation. Business investment has increased and consumer spending has rebounded. This has increased demand for innovative products, processes, and...

Risky business.(The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters)(Book review)
September 22, 2007... The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters by Charles Perrow. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007, 388 pp. There are three classes of disasters, distinguished by their...

Despoiled seas.(The Unnatural History of the Sea)(Book review)
September 22, 2007... The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2007, 435 pp. Market hunting has been prohibited in the United States for more than 100 years, and today we tend to look aghast at the practice that...

Figure 2055.(ARCHIVES)(a painting by Tatiana Garmendia)(Brief article)
September 22, 2007... The invention of the X-ray in 1895 along with the identification of various radioactive emissions had an effect on artists' perception of matter, energy, and anatomy and thus challenged ideas of representation, especially of that which is...