News Updates

4/21/17 -San Francisco now uses an unusual approach in handling young adults charged with breaking the law, hearing their cases in a special court that the New York Times calls “a hybrid of the adult and juvenile justice systems tailored to the biology and circumstances of offenders 18 to 24.” This approach aligns with the latest scientific evidence on how the brain continues to develop well into early adulthood, with accompanying increases in “psychosocial maturity,” as explained in Issues by a leader in neuroscience whose work influenced the city’s adoption of its innovative court.

4/19/17 – In Issues recently, a scholar at a major university in China described how his nation had tailored itself into a technocracy and sketched some possible benefits. One possible outcome is China’s emergence as a source of new commercial technology, as evidenced by a new study (summarized here) finding that China recently surpassed the United States as the biggest spender in translating new knowledge from basic and applied research into commercial products and manufacturing processes.

4/13/17 – The potential threat raised by the current outbreak of bird flu in China provides sharp reminder that the United States remains inadequately prepared to fight communicable diseases that break borders and spread globally. And the recent explosion of unfiltered channels of communication complicates matters, a US inventor and entrepreneur has explained in Issues, going on to call for creation of a global volunteer corps of scientists and communicators who can respond quickly and precisely to the myriad social and scientific challenges that arise during pandemics.

4/12/17 – CNN recently highlighted a team of researchers studying a cave-full of bats because, the story asserted, “Each bat has the potential to carry…some of the planet’s deadliest, but least understood, viruses…that could come to humans.” But a leading bat expert explains in Issues that focusing on potential diseases from bats is unlikely to contribute substantially to human health and may actually threaten the future of these flying mammals that are vital to the environment and the public’s general welfare.

4/11/17 – A fisheries management tool called “catch shares,” described and recommended by a trio of ocean analysts in Issues nearly a decade ago, has gained advocates and opponents alike as it has been applied in various US waters and elsewhere. Now, a new study summarized here provides what the researchers call the “first systematic evidence” that the approach works, just as pressures are increasing within the federal government and some states to revise or reject the use of catch shares.

4/7/17 – As the Earth continues to warm in response to human activities, the prospects of using engineering techniques to control climate change are gaining attention, the New York Times reports, noting that an important step is to invest more in research. In Issues, a pioneer in geoengineering has laid out the framework for a comprehensive US research plan, saying it should be part of a coherent climate policy agenda that includes vigorous support for climate science, increases efforts to cut emissions, helps the most vulnerable populations to adapt, develops negative emission technologies, and renews a commitment to growing international governance on climate matters.

4/5/17 – To hold or even expand its place in the US energy system, the nuclear energy industry needs a new operational model characterized by innovative reactor and plant designs, revitalized business models, and smaller entrepreneurial start-ups, says a new report from the Breakthrough Institute. It aligns with recommendations presented in Issues by a leading nuclear researcher who laid out a road map for innovation to reach the next generation of affordable and safe nuclear energy technologies.

4/4/17 – The United States doesn’t have enough home-grown workers with the training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that many employers need, according to a new study by a coalition of mayors and business leaders. But there is also concern that the federal government’s visa program for bringing in highly skilled temporary workers from abroad needs to be updated and reformed. In Issues, a scholar who focuses on science, technology, and immigration policy has offered a detailed plan to do just that.

4/3/17 – President Trump may be backing off his campaign vow to abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement and reportedly may keep major parts in place in any renegotiated deal. This shift would align at least a bit better with observations offered in Issues by a policy analyst who detailed the economic gains that NAFTA has created for the United States and suggested that the three agreement partners would benefit even more by working together as an alliance to engage the global community on trade issues.

4/3/17 – Donald Trump, like Ronald Reagan, has proposed large reductions in federal research spending. According to Matthew Hourihan of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one major difference is that Trump is more eager to cut support for basic research.

4/3/17 – Based on an analysis of the capabilities that robots and information technology have or might acquire over the next few decades, an economic analyst recently predicted in Issues that strains on the US workforce will likely be great, requiring major adjustments for workers and the nation alike. Now, a new study adds details of how robots have cut into employment and pay for workers, especially in manufacturing and among those in routine assembly and related occupations on the lower rungs of the pay scale.