Table of Contents
What Science Can Do
Summer 2009
Forum
Human enhancement; A necessary critique of science; Squaring biofuels with food; Nurturing the U.S. high-tech workforce; Manufacturing's hidden heroes; Environmental data
From the Hill
Climate change legislation advances; FY 2010 budget proposal backs more increases for R&D; NIH releases guidelines for stem cell research; NASA to review human space flight activities
What Science Can Do
Barack Obama
Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before.
Alternative Energy for Transportation
Koji Omi
The world's citizens and governments must accept that Earth's resources are finite and commit themselves to the development of new power sources for automobiles.
Abolishing Hunger
Ismail Serageldin
The scientific community can play an essential role in providing the tools for humanity to satisfy its moral imperative to feed the hungry.
The Sustainability Transition
Pamela Matson
Meeting basic human needs without degrading the planet's vital systems will require an ambitious, interdisciplinary, and solution-oriented research program.
A Future for U.S. Fisheries
Carl Safina
Current policies have slowed but not stopped the depletion of fish stocks.
U.S. Energy Policy: The Need for Radical Departures
Vaclav Smil
Dreams of a near-term transformation are illusory.
From Human Genome Research to Personalized Health Care
Gilbert S. Omenn
The potential is widely recognized, but much more knowledge is needed to make the science clinically useful.
Electronic Health Records: Their Time Has Come
Don E. Detmer
After almost two decades of advocacy, the health care system might finally be ready to take full advantage of information technology to improve quality and efficiency.
A Focused Approach to Society’s Grand Challenges
Lewis Branscomb
Fundamental research linked to well-defined societal goals is a critical but underused tool of science and technology policy.
High-Performance Computing for All
Deborah Wince-Smith
Providing access to high-performance computing for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and inventors would be a boon to innovation.
The Cloud, the Crowd, and Public Policy
Michael R. Nelson
A new age of more flexible, less expensive, and more secure computing will emerge soon if governments act wisely.
Restoring Science to Science Education
Bruce Alberts
What is taught in schools today is a caricature of science.
To Teach Science, Tell Stories
Niles Eldredge
We need to incorporate the human dimensions of individual struggle, creativity, and adventure into the way we teach science.
After the Motor Fuel Tax: Reshaping Transportation Financing
Martin Wachs
Congress should seize the opportunity to shift to a system of direct user fees to support transportation activities.
The Rightful Place of Science
Daniel Sarewitz
The Democratic Party's enthusiastic embrace of science is delivering immediate financial rewards for research, but it raises long-term questions about the politicization of science.