BIOPOLITICS
Think you know your left from right, in the debate over 21st century biopolitics? When it comes to biotechnology, think again. Stem cells, embryo research and synthetic biology are just a few of the issues that will force strange new political alliances
NEUROETHICS
Applied neuroscience—from neuromarketing, to mind-reading, to cognitive lifestyle enhancement— is rapidly becoming a reality affecting commerce, national security, and culture. This primer looks at where we are going, and what we need to look out for.
NEUROSECURITY
A new painless, non-invasive technology can improve visual perception in healthy people. Dr. Moreno looks at the implications of transcranial magnetic stimulation for the warfighter and beyond.
NEUROSCIENCE
Can modern, neuroscience-based psychology help teachers prepare their students for the tough competition ahead so they can have a chance to realize the American dream? More to the point, should teachers learn some neuroscience themselves?
DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
Given the obvious dangers, fully autonomous offensive lethal weapons should never be permitted, argues Jonathan Moreno in a Wall Street Journal opinion editorial.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS
The Chinese Army’s announcement of an alertness drug, dubbed “Night Eagle,” probably says more about China’s desire to expand its presence in the pharmaceutical industry than it says about China’s ability to develop truly novel drugs.
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
As we dig into the weeds of the nature of reality, reality is ever more stubborn about giving up its secrets. Answering the big questions will require new policies and new methods that are now only in the process of development.
SPACE AND SOCIETY
New evidence indicates that support for science in America is in trouble, and SP Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Moreno examines whether a high-minded national goal such as a manned mission to Mars can change that.
NEUROETHICS
The close relationship between neuroscience and the national security and intelligence organizations in the United States raises ethical issues that need to be addressed if we are to come to a pragmatic synthesis of ethical accountability and national security.
BIOETHICS
Huxley’s “Brave New World” remains a success not because of the accuracy of the technological future it foretells (indeed it misses the mark in many ways), but because of what it says about the longing for love and humanity in any age.
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
From nanotech to biotech, we stand to benefit greatly from discoveries on the frontiers of technology. But there are risks too, and a bipartisan consensus on how to manage these technological risks in the 21st century is quietly emerging. One-size fits all is out. Evidence-based risk management is in.
INVESTING IN SCIENCE
Despite the gloomy budget picture, some science and innovation programs will actually gain ground in 2012. ARPA-E and the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences came out ahead, while the Education Department’s research programs slipped.
BIOETHICS
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity asked two leading life science journals not to publish certain details about experiments done on the bird flu virus to make it even more contagious and potentially deadly, citing public safety concerns.
BIOETHICS
The federal decision to prevent teenagers from obtaining emergency contraception over the counter cuts to the core of the progressives idea that science should always trump politics.
BIOTECH INNOVATION
A new report reviews the status of biotech innovation clusters across the country and the world. The report shows potential for biotech innovation and job creation in emerging clusters from Houston to Atlanta to Indianapolis if we can get the policy right.
BIOETHICS
Why do we have trouble defining what a “person” is? The answer may lie in human evolutionary antiquity, writes Jonathan Moreno in a Huffington Post op-ed.
BIOETHICS
So-called “personhood” efforts that are active now in all 50 states represent an attack not only on women’s reproductive rights but also on science.
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
Tom Daschle and Jonathan Moreno discuss how far we’ve come in our ability to respond to biological threats like the anthrax attacks that rocked the country ten years ago.
BIOETHICS
Many, including President Bush, have called for an end to human-animal hybrids, but these creatures are critical to medical research.
BIOETHICS
As Advanced Cell Technology Inc. receives approval from British authorities to conduct a human embryonic stem cell study in the U.K., Jonathan D. Moreno reminds us that such research can be a long, tiring slog.
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.
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.