News Updates

A federal court has rejected an Obama-era regulatory definition of “Waters of the United States”—the so-called WOTUS Rule—in a move favored by the Trump administration and expected to have far-reaching implications for landowners and project developers. In Issues, a longtime environmental analyst recently examined how the rule fits into the larger picture of wetlands protection, concluding that the nation now needs a “focused, omnibus package of wetland management and protection legislation” and offering ideas for what such a package should include.

In early research, reproductive biologists are trying to edit genes in human sperm, with a goal of preventing genetic disorders passed down from men. But even as advocates see potential health benefits, other observers worry. “The concern is what kind of world are you creating as you move down the path to start manipulating human genetics,” says a leading bioethicist, who recently argued in Issues that the public should be deeply involved in discussions of gene editing and that there should be broad societal consensus before moving forward with this technology.

Most Americans view research scientists favorably in many regards, a new survey finds, but only about half of the public considers them good communicators. What to do? Issues has explored remedies offered by a professor of communication who checks scientific claims made by partisan groups, the president of a public-interest communications firm, and a software engineer and blogger who says scientists should avoid making grandiose statements about “science” and instead “try to make simpler, more specific, and more human ones about your own research.”

China is spending big on R&D in quantum technology, an emerging field that might transform information processing and bring major economic and security rewards, as part of an overall plan to catch or even surpass Western countries in innovation. In Issues, an experienced technology and policy analyst recently surveyed China’s activities, including some predatory economic practices, and proposed ways that US government, industry, and universities can strengthen the nation’s innovation capability and maintain its global leadership.

The US Navy is seeking proposals from industry to design and build what would be the world’s largest robot warship, with plans to build 10 of them in five years. Among intended uses, they will serve as advance scouts for the main battle fleet or carry modular payloads of backup missiles to bolster the fleet’s firepower. The innovative ships represent what a security analyst described in Issues as a new generation of surface and underwater robotic vessels designed to meet changing maritime warfare challenges.

An international commission has launched a new effort to develop detailed, practical, and unambiguous guidance on what should or should not be done when it comes to editing the genes of humans in a way that future offspring would inherit, in response to gaps and uncertainties in previous reports and guidelines. Following an early broad look at human gene editing, Issues recently examined some of the areas—such as how to engage society in discussions, discourage rogue researchers, and acknowledge religious beliefs—that could benefit from further consideration.

Storms and flooding caused some $1.2 billion in infrastructure damage across 24 states during the first half of 2019, according to a new survey, including damage to roads and bridges, utilities, and water-control facilities. And threats will likely increase with the unprecedented extreme weather events expected to accompany climate change, a trio of experts recently noted in Issues, going on to propose technological and policy innovations for designing, building, and maintaining critical infrastructure systems that will be more resilient to future challenges.

Seventeen countries, home to one-quarter of the world’s population, face extremely high levels of water stress, meaning their water consumption approaches their supply on average every year, and the risks are likely to increase with population and economic growth and a changing climate, according to a new report. Such water shortages can be the source of social conflicts, a scholar of global environmental governance has noted in Issues, but he added that with safeguards, including informed government policies and management decisions, the dangers can be defused.

Robotic weapons that can operate without human direction are nearing reality, and should be banned now because “it’s much harder once they are falling into the wrong hands or becoming an accepted part of the military tool kit,” an Australian expert on artificial intelligence told the New York Times. As part of a larger look at regulating AI applications, two US scholars wrote in Issues that seeking limits on fully autonomous weapons “seems sensible,” going on to propose an overarching AI-enhanced decision-making system to keep many if not all smart technologies in line.

Public trust of scientists is growing, though some skepticism remains, a new survey finds, with people feeling most positive “about scientific research where the data is openly available.” That’s good news for advocates of Open Science. In Issues, a philosopher recently recounted the movement’s progress and challenges in seeking to democratize knowledge by making scholarly publications, including data, freely available online for anyone to read and reuse—and more broadly to make the practice of science more responsive to society’s needs.

Robotics and artificial intelligence will, like earlier technological advances, lead to higher industrial productivity that will benefit workers by creating more better-paying jobs, says the head of a think tank focused on innovation economics. Perhaps. But this picture is now less certain, a scholar of these trends recently argued in Issues, noting that society needs to tap insights from educators, psychologists, and testing experts to fully understand how the new technologies affect work and workers and how society should respond.

A small spacecraft sporting expandable sails is now orbiting Earth, powered by photons from the sun and guided by controllers on the ground—and possibly foretelling a new way to propel future probes through the solar system. Run by the nonprofit Planetary Society and financed by 40,000 donations, the mission marks yet again the emerging global trend, documented recently in Issues, of private organizations undertaking space activities once dominated by government, and doing so with remarkable innovation and at lower cost.