Past Events
Issues events connect our contributors with a dynamic community of interested readers, experts, and policymakers. These events emphasize the unique role Issues plays in raising the level of debate among all those who appreciate the critical contributions of science and technology. We also occasionally highlight events from our partnering institutions—the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and Arizona State University—and other events around the national capital that will be of interest to our audience.
Can Innovation Solve Society’s Problems?
Since World War II, the United States has famously funded research to advance all fields of science and innovation. The resulting wave of discovery and knowledge has benefited Americans by creating new disease-fighting drugs, increasing economic productivity, and sparking an information revolution through advances like the internet and GPS.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
What Science and Technology Owe the National Defense
On September 23, 2020, Jamie Holmes, Lt. Gen. Robert Schmidle, and Margaret O’Mara explored a pivotal moment in US history and its implications for today’s debates over technology and national security.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Should We Patent a COVID-19 Vaccine?
Quashing the COVID-19 pandemic is going to require companies to manufacture billions of vaccines at an affordable price. Conventional wisdom says that the best way to do this requires easing up on patent restrictions.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Jennifer Jacquet and James Prosek in Conversation
Join us for a DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER) Experiment online. Launched in 2011, DASER is a discussion forum providing a snapshot of multidisciplinary projects and fostering networking across disciplines. This month, environmental scientist Jennifer Jacquet and artist and writer James Prosek engage in a conversation on Zoom with time for Q&A and interaction with the audience.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
COVID-19, DACA, and the Responses of Hispanic Serving Institutions
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are the fastest-growing type of enrollment-based Minority Serving Institutions, serving the educational needs of hundreds of thousands of students, advancing the full spectrum of human knowledge, and invigorating the cultural, social, and economic horizons of the regions they serve.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
COVID-19, Supporting Learners, and the Responses of our Nation’s Community Colleges
More than 1,200 US community colleges serve the educational needs of millions of students, advancing the full spectrum of human knowledge while also invigorating the cultural, social, and economic institutions in their communities.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
COVID-19, Systemic Racism, and the Responses of HBCUs
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are among the nation’s most vital and vibrant institutions, serving the educational needs of hundreds of thousands of students, advancing the full spectrum of human knowledge, and invigorating the cultural, social, and economic horizons of the regions they serve.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Can Voting by Mail Ensure a Safe and Secure Election?
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
During a presidential election year, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to disrupt the most important tenet of democracy: political representation. In response, many states are implementing or considering systems to allow citizens to vote by mail.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
A Global Strategy for Preventing the Next Pandemic
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
Protection of biodiversity and animal habitat need to be on the front lines of the fight against deadly diseases. Habitat destruction and the wildlife trade are just two of the unsustainable practices that are increasing the likelihood of diseases such as COVID-19 making the leap from animals to humans.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Science’s Viral Misinformation
In a moment when scientists are racing to develop treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19, it’s crucial to look to the long history of once-popular treatments that have later proven ineffective or deadly.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Are Bats Really to Blame for the COVID-19 Pandemic?
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
Bats have been identified by some experts and in the media as the culprits behind the costliest pandemic in modern history, even though the source and method of transmission of the novel coronavirus remain unclear.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
COVID-19 and the Mission of the US Public University
A Virtual Town Hall Discussion
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
Public universities are among the nation’s most vital and vibrant institutions, serving the educational needs of hundreds of thousands of students, advancing the full spectrum of human knowledge, and invigorating the cultural, social, and economic horizons of the regions they serve.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Applying Engineering Lessons to Pandemic Management
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced challenges that are commonly dealt with in engineering in the United States. Policy responses to the pandemic could be improved with lessons from other types of infrastructure, and by investing in “efficient resilience” when it comes to medical infrastructure.
Zoom Webinar
Online registration required, Washington, DC
Online registration required, Washington, DC
National Academy of Sciences 157th Annual Meeting
The National Academy of Sciences will hold its 157th annual meeting online this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and April 26. The following events will be webcast live (all times EDT):
Saturday, April 25
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: NAS President’s Address
NAS President Marcia McNutt will deliver her annual address to NAS members.
National Academy of Sciences
, Washington, DC
, Washington, DC
Where’s Congress? Don’t Just Blame Trump for the Coronavirus Catastrophe
You can watch a recording of this webinar here.
The United States has the world’s highest rating on the Global Health Security Index. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may well have the planet’s highest density of expertise in infectious disease.
Zoom Webinar
, Washington, DC
, Washington, DC
Kickstarting the Digital Heartland
How can the benefits and opportunities of the digital revolution be distributed more equitably?
Policy-makers have long struggled to close a digital divide that leaves millions without access to broadband internet service. In recent years, another digital divide has opened that involves the unevenness of cyber capacity-building and retention between regions.
New America
1740 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
1740 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Putting Social Science to Work for Society
Join Kenneth Prewitt and other social science luminaries on November 20th for the launch of the Fall 2019 Issues in Science and Technology.
Social science research—spanning disciplines as diverse as economics, anthropology, political science, and psychology—illuminates the inner workings of human behavior and society.
ASU Barrett & O'Connor Washington DC Center
1800 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
1800 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
CRISPR Babies & The Future of Human Genome Editing
Join National Academies’ project manager Anne-Marie Mazza on May 15th for the launch of the Spring 2019 Issues in Science and Technology.
Late last year, the Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced the birth of twin girls whose embryos he had genetically modified for HIV resistance using CRISPR, a powerful new gene editing technology.
E Street Conference Center
525 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
525 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Making Progress Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Launch event for the Fall 2018 Issues in Science and Technology
Decades of research and tens of billions of dollars in funding have produced mountains of scientific and medical literature about Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death.
ASU Washington Center
1800 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
1800 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
Open House: The Future of Science Policy
With technologies like self-driving vehicles and proposals like tourist trips to the moon, science fiction is rapidly becoming science reality. How should science policy govern this rapidly approaching future? Who should be involved, what tools do we need, and how do we prepare the next generation of leaders?
ASU Washington Center
1800 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
1800 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
National Priorities for Adapting to Global Warming
Launch event for the Summer 2018 Issues in Science and Technology
Human-caused climate change is one of the defining challenges of the twenty-first century. But we seem no closer to adequately addressing the problem than when scientists first identified it decades ago.
ASU Barrett & O’Connor Center Washington Center
1800 I Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
1800 I Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
Debunking the “War on Coal”
Launch event for the Winter 2018 Issues in Science and Technology
In his recent State of the Union, President Trump claimed that “We have ended the war on American energy—and we have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.”
New York University Washington, DC Center
1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Make America Innovate Again
Launch event for the Summer 2017 Issues in Science and Technology
Technological innovation is at the core of America’s prosperity and global competitiveness. But in sectors ranging from energy to medicine to manufacturing, innovation is foundering under the Trump administration.
ASU Washington Center
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
The End of Insight?
Ed Finn launches the Spring 2017 “Issues in Science and Technology”
Researchers across a variety of fields use algorithms to investigate a wide range of questions and problems, from modeling genetic expression to understanding weather patterns.
ASU Washington Center
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
Confronting Scientific Controversies: Do Facts Matter?
Launch event for the Winter 2017 Issues in Science and Technology
There are a lot of reasons why people might reject an established scientific finding, or overstate scientific support for dubious claims. Economic interests might be at play when an oil company questions climate science.
ASU Washington Center
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
1834 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
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