"r&d" means something else on capitol hill

Science in Congress

“R&D” Means Something Different on Capitol Hill

Scientists need to learn how information flows to congressional staffers—and the crucial role they play in setting policy.

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Shizu Saldamando, "Snapshot" (2001), silkscreen, 22 x 30 inches. Courtesy of the Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University.

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Snapshot

Shizu Saldamando’s work challenges social and artistic norms by spotlighting overlooked lives and examining how language, fashion, and memory shape culture.

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In response to essays published in Issues, our readers weigh in on critical topics in policy related to science, technology, and society.

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Future Tense Fiction

Future Tense Fiction is a speculative fiction series that uses imagination to explore how science and technology will shape our future. It features short stories written by acclaimed authors across a wide range of styles. Each story is paired with original artwork by Rey Velasquez Sagcal and a response essay from an expert who connects the fictional narrative to real-world policy debates.

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "Ride" by Linda Nagata

    What If an All-Knowing Algorithm Ran Traffic and Transit?

    A journalist who reports on cities and autonomous vehicles responds to Linda Nagata’s “Ride.”

    Response

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "Ride" by Linda Nagata

    Ride

    Jasmine, a hotel worker in a future climate-ravaged Hawaii, is desperate for a change to her monotonous routine. When a guest tells Jasmine about a secret hack to tinker with the taxi-share system the island’s workers rely on, she’s forced to ride with some unusual fellow commuters, who change her mind about what her true destination should be.

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "Automated Justice?" by Elizabeth Joh

    Automated Justice?

    The emerging applications of artificial intelligence promise huge social benefits: significant gains in detecting breast cancer that allow radiologists to focus on other patient needs, the deciphering of text inside a 2,000-year-old… Read More

    Response

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "The 28th" by Mark Stasenko

    The 28th

    In a future legal system in which the investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and juries are all replaced or supervised by artificial intelligence, who can be trusted? And are the contradictions and flaws inherent in human decisionmaking actually an asset?

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "The Minnesota Diet"

    The Minnesota Diet

    In a future city complete with vertical farms, rooftop gardens, and no carbon footprint, the city’s survival still depends on regular food deliveries from the outside. What happens when those deliveries suddenly stop showing up?

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for the response essay to "The Minnesota Diet"

    Can We Insulate Ourselves From Food Shortages?

    A food systems and security researcher responds to Charlie Jane Anders’ short story “The Minnesota Diet.”

    Response

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