Homeland Security
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.
Editor's Journal
Weighing Our Woes
Weighing Our Woes The horror of September 11 is difficult to absorb. We all looked in disbelief as the tape of the buildings collapsing was played over and over and over again.… Read More
From the Hill
From the Hill – Winter 2002
Marburger confirmed as science advisor; OSTP moves questioned New science advisor John H. Marburger III, confirmed by the Senate on October 23, has taken steps that have increased anxiety among some members… Read More
Real Numbers
Real Numbers: The Uninsured: Myths and Realities
Much of what Americans think they know about people without health insurance is wrong. National polling data and market research reveal that the popular wisdom is that the number of uninsured people… Read More
Features
Achievement Versus Aptitude in College Admissions
Students should be selected on the basis of their demonstrated success in learning, not some ill-defined notion of aptitude. Every year, more than a million high school students stake their futures on… Read MoreRethinking US Child Care Policy
Read MoreDemand for high-quality care will increase only when consumers have better information about child care and stronger economic incentives to purchase excellent care.
Homeland Security Technology
A new federal agency is needed to rapidly develop and deploy technologies that will limit our vulnerability to terrorism. On September 11th, our complex national aviation infrastructure became a brilliant weapons delivery… Read MoreRevamping the CIA
The terrorist attacks have once again exposed wide-ranging flaws in the agency’s operations. One week after the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, national security adviser Condoleeza Rice… Read MoreThe Ethanol Answer to Carbon Emissions
When the United States gets serious about the threat of global climate change, it should turn to ethanol to power cars. The moment is fast approaching when the United States will have… Read MorePreparing for and Preventing Bioterrorism
Strengthening the U.S. public health infrastructure is the key to enhancing the nation’s safety. The tragic events of September 11th, followed by the recent anthrax incidents, have made us painfully aware of… Read MoreKeeping National Missile Defense in Perspective
If we’re going to pursue this strategy, let’s do so in a realistic way that minimizes the economic and political costs. The United States is in the midst of its third major… Read MoreRegulatory Challenges in University Research
Federal regulations must be streamlined and coordinated so that society’s values can be upheld without impeding science. The body of federal regulations designed to ensure that university research adheres to generally accepted… Read More
Book Reviews
Book Review: Information warfare
Information warfare Strategic Warfare in Cyberspace, by Gregory J. Rattray. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2001, 517 pp. Bruce Berkowitz Several books about information warfare (IW) have appeared in recent years. Government… Read MoreBook Review: Return of the gadfly
Return of the gadfly Science, Money, and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion, by Daniel S. Greenberg. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001, 530 pp. David M. Hart Webster’s defines gadfly… Read MoreBook Review: Oil and war do mix
Oil and war do mix Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict, by Michael T. Klare. New York: Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Co., 2001, 289 pp. Richard A. Matthew… Read MoreBook Review: Loose numbers
Loose numbers Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists, by Joel Best. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2001, 190 pp. It Ain’t Necessarily … Read More
Archives – Winter 2002
Photo: Carnegie Institution of Washington Andrew Carnegie and George Ellery Hale The Carnegie Institution of Washington was born a century ago in January 1902 with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie… Read More