WEISS'S NOTEBOOK
Cease and Desist
To the pharmaceutical companies out there pushing spurious claims about their medications with millions in marketing dollars: Stop. Now. And please submit your data to the FDA for review.
Science Funding: an Investment, Not an Expenditure
Merril Goozner, a longtime Washington health and science gadfly who hosts the respected website gooznews.com, responded yesterday to my Monday posting about the negligent flat-funding of the National Institutes of Health. He makes the point that, bad as that policy has been, we should not forget that other important drivers of biomedical research and improved healthcare delivery have similarly suffered under recent Bush budgets. Read the rest of this post >
The $5000 Complete Genome and the Coming Genetic Microsofts
Earlier this week, Complete Genomics announced that it will offer complete human genome sequencing for the low, low price of $5000. But as the blog Genetic Future points out, in this industry, profits will to flow to companies that can offer the best interpretation of genetic information, not just the fastest and cheapest sequencing.
SCIENCE, CULTURED
A Year’s Worth of Thinking About Science Policy
It’s entirely possible for research to thrive even as the influence and relevance of science, in policy and to the average citizen, decline. Reflections on a dramatic conversation to elevate science in America.
ANNIVERSARIES
A Year of Science Progress
Just over a year ago, we launched Science Progress. Our goal was to provide a forum for progressive science policy, a venue in which those concerned about the future of the country could assess the current state of science in America.
CLIMATE
Predicting the Unpredictable
Climate modelers work with the data they have and play a role in understanding the complexities of the Earth’s environments. But to adapt to future climate changes, we have to invest in their predictive tools.
Biofuel Policy Recommendations in Science, Just Before Administration Unveils New Plan
Writing at the Switchboard blog, Nathanael Green is pleased with the conclusions of 23 scientists who co-authored the Policy Forum in Friday’s issue of Science, “Sustainable Biofuels Redux.” And just today, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that tomorrow they will release a new plan for accelerating the development of the sustainable biofuels industry.
Science and Tech Policy Events This Week
Here’s a roundup of some of the science and technology policy events happening around Washington, D.C. from October 6 to October 10. Things are light this week.
WEISS'S NOTEBOOK
Where’s the Biomed Bailout?
Congress last week passed a continuing resolution that will keep the National Institutes of Health budget flat-out flat for the fifth year running. The policy is flat-out wrong, as Americans who have diseases that five or ten years from now should be curable are going to have to wait a lot longer.
Cabinet-making Advice from the Association of American Universities
The AAU recommendations straddle the sciences and the humanities, but the item at the top of the group’s list is the very same as the top recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences: elevate the role of the president’s science adviser to a cabinet-level position, and appoint a highly qualified person to that position quickly.
Michigan’s Modest Ballot Proposal Gains Media Support
Today, the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News both endorsed a new policy that will be on the ballot this November in Michigan, and, if passed, will allow stem cell research. Michigan has the most restrictive anti-stem cell research laws in the nation, a tragedy which is compounded by the fact that Michigan has one of the most productive biotech R&D infrastructures of any state.
Abrupt Climate Change
Abrupt climate changes happen. To better understand these potential threats to humanity, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research recently launched the Investigation of the Magnitudes and Probabilities of Abrupt Climate Transitions program.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Out of the Park
A U.S. district court reminds the Park Service that the agency ignored its own scientific assessment of snowmobiling’s threats to wildlife, air quality, and natural quiet in Yellowstone National Park.
CLIMATE
Earth Raises Its Beach Umbrella
Some scientists are suggesting that marine algae are responding to manmade temperature increases by generating dimethylsulfide, a gas that forms reflective clouds. The cycle is important to understand, but a geoengineering solution that exploits it will not solve our problems.
Nano-what? Synthetic-who?
Some new products built on advances in nanotechnology improve people’s quality of life. So how come nobody’s ever heard of these wonderful new advancements? A new report released reveals that almost half of U.S. adults have heard nothing about nanotechnology. Even fewer have heard about synthetic biology.
SCIENCE, CULTURED
All the President’s Scientists
For eight years running, the National Academy of Sciences has offered public advice on scientific appointments for the next administration and seen its advice largely ignored. This year, the tone is different, and it’s time to pay attention.
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What We Work On
Science, Innovation, and Competitiveness
Science Progress and American Progress's Doing What Works project teamed up to produce a set of policy proposals that the Obama administration and Congress can adopt to reinvest in the building blocks of American science, innovation, and economic competitiveness. Read the overview of the five reports.
What We Believe
Science Progress proceeds from the propositions that scientific inquiry is among the finest expressions of human excellence, that it is a crucial source of human flourishing, a critical engine of economic growth, and must be dedicated to the common good. Scientific inquiry entails global responsibilities. It should lead to a more equitable, safer, and healthier future for all of humankind.