Saving America’s Coral Reefs
Every issue explores cutting-edge developments in technology, medicine, education, climate change, and much more. Articles provide in-depth analyses of science and technology’s impact on public policy, the economy, and society—bringing today’s best minds to bear on tomorrow’s most critical topics.
From the Hill
From the Hill – Winter 2004
NIH facing new pressures; proposed roadmap in doubt The House and Senate committees charged with overseeing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a joint hearing in October that highlighted both the… Read More
Perspectives
Establishing a Bureau of Environmental Statistics
In 2003, Rep. Doug Ose (R-Calif.) proposed the Department of Environmental Protection Act, which would elevate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a cabinet department and create within it a Bureau of… Read MoreA Sustainable Rationale for Human Spaceflight
The August 2003 report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) noted that, “all members of the Board agree that America’s future space efforts must include human presence in Earth orbit, and… Read More
Features
America’s Coral Reefs: Awash With Problems
America’s coral reefs are in trouble. From the disease-ridden dying reefs of the Florida Keys, to the overfished and denuded reefs of Hawaii and the Virgin Islands, this country’s richest and most… Read MoreArchives – Winter 2004
Photo: NAS Archives Before There Was Radar During World War I, armies on both sides used sound location to detect enemy aircraft flying out of visual range. The job required observers competent… Read MoreBreeding Sanity into the GM Food Debate
The debate over biotechnology seems to get ever more intractable, its costs higher, the disputants angrier. Europe is on the verge of requiring the tracking of all genetically modified (GM) food from… Read MoreClean Air and the Politics of Coal
Air quality policy–technically complex and always contentious–has become the focus of bitter controversy. The public debate is about an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program called New Source Review (NSR), which regulates emissions… Read MoreViral Trade and Global Public Health
In June 2003, some 80 people in three Midwestern states were stricken with monkeypox. Until then, the disease–a sometimes fatal viral infection related to smallpox–had never been seen outside Central and West… Read MoreNew Challenges for U.S. Semiconductor Industry
The United States faces a growing threat to its leadership of the world semiconductor industry. A combination of market forces and foreign industrial policies is creating powerful incentives to shift new chip… Read MorePractical Climate Change Policy
Global climate change policy has reached a stalemate. Europe, Canada, and Japan have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, but it now appears that Russia probably will not, and the Bush administration has ruled… Read MoreYouth, Pornography, and the Internet
The Internet is both a source of promise for our children and a source of concern. The promise is that the Internet offers such an enormous range of positive and educational experiences… Read More
Book Reviews
Saving species
In these days of unremittingly bad news about Earth’s environment–in particular the state of its ecosystems and species–what a pleasant prospect to encounter a book with the title Win-Win Ecology. As… Read More
Feeding the world
No other fundamental human deprivation affects as many people as does hunger, the chronic shortage of food that makes it impossible to live healthy and vigorous lives. Millions of people live at… Read More
Society’s glue
Any country that is doing nation-building full time needs to be concerned about social cohesion: the elusive glue of civility, trust, and cooperation that is essential to a society’s health. Why do… Read More