Practical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle
Every issue explores cutting-edge developments in technology, medicine, education, climate change, and much more. Articles provide in-depth analyses of science and technology’s impact on public policy, the economy, and society—bringing today’s best minds to bear on tomorrow’s most critical topics.
From the Hill
From the Hill – Winter 2009
Research funding flat in 2009 as budget stalls Fiscal year (FY) 2009 began on October 1 with final budget decisions for most federal agencies postponed until at least January 2009. To keep… Read More
Perspectives
Overcoming Stone Age Logic
Through a remarkable manipulation of limited knowledge, brute force, and an overwhelming arrogance, humans have shaped a world that in all likelihood cannot sustain the standard of living and quality of life… Read MoreScience on the Campaign Trail
In November 2007, a group of six citizens decided to do something to elevate science and technology in the national dialogue. They created Science Debate 2008, an initiative calling for a presidential… Read More
Features
Archives – Winter 2009
SIDNEY NAGEL, Two-Fluid Snap Off, Ink jet print, 52.5 × 34.25 inches, 1999. Two-Fluid Snap Off A drop falling from a faucet is a common example of a liquid fissioning into… Read MorePractical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle: Getting More Miles per Gallon
The answer may require looking beyond CAFE standards and implementing other consumer-oriented policy options to wean drivers away from past habits. In December 2007, concerns over energy security and human-induced climate change… Read MoreRestoring and Protecting Coastal Louisiana
The challenges facing the Gulf Coast reflect a national inability to come to grips with the need to deal with neglected infrastructure, both natural and built. The sustainability of coastal Louisiana is… Read MoreThe High Road for U.S. Manufacturing
Manufacturing employment could be stabilized with more widespread use of advanced production methods. Government policy can play a key role. The United States has been losing manufacturing jobs at a stunning rate:… Read MoreClimate Change: Think Globally, Assess Regionally, Act Locally
Read MoreScientists must develop regional assessments of climate change that are essential to the local policymakers who will have to make the critical decisions about how to respond.
Practical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle: A Full-Court Press for Renewable Energy
Transformation of the energy system will require steady and generous government support across technological, economic, and social domains. Any effort to move the United States away from its current fossil-fuel energy system… Read MorePractical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle: Energy Security for American Families
Helping moderate-income households invest in energy-efficient cars, appliances, and home retrofits would benefit financially struggling families as well as the U.S. economy. In July 2008, Americans were paying $4.11 per gallon of… Read MorePractical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle: Reduce Greenhouse Gases Profitably
A regulatory system that rewards energy companies for innovations that boost efficiency can appeal to environmentalists and industry alike. After the Senate’s failed effort to pass the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill, Congress… Read MorePractical Pieces of the Energy Puzzle: Low Carbon Fuel Standards
The most direct and effective policy for transitioning to low-carbon alternative transportation fuels is to spur innovation with a comprehensive performance standard for upstream fuel producers. When it comes to energy security… Read More
Book Reviews
Book Review: Follow the money
Follow the money Science for Sale: The Perils, Rewards, and Delusions of Campus Capitalism by Daniel S. Greenberg. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007, 324 pp. Melissa S. Anderson On the… Read MoreBook Review: Danger: Bell curve ahead
Danger: Bell curve ahead Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality by Charles Murray. New York: Crown Forum, 2008. Michael J. Feuer When I was in my… Read MoreGrowth Without Planetary Blight
The Bridge at the Edge of the World by James Gustave Speth. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2008, 295 pp. In November 2008, Al Gore authored an op-ed essay in the… Read More