DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY

Robot Soldiers Will Be a Reality—and a Threat

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

Stay Awake, Comrades

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

Is Science Getting Easier, Harder, or Both?

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.

Can Mars Save American Science From American Politics?

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

Neuroscience, Ethics, and National Security: The State of the Art

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.

“Brave New World” Turns 80

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.

Tackling 21st-Century Tech Risks

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.

A Sort of Happy New Year for the New Science Budget

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

Bird Flu Blues

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

Plan C Anyone? The Politics in Science

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.

It’s the Century of Biology: Are the Candidates Listening?

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.

Diagnosing the ‘Personhood’ Problem: It’s in Your Brain

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

Embryos, Stem Cells, and ‘Personhood’ Initiatives

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

Biopreparedness 10 Years After the Anthrax Attacks

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

Why We Need to Be More Accepting of ‘Humanized’ Lab Animals

Many, including President Bush, have called for an end to human-animal hybrids, but these creatures are critical to medical research.

BIOETHICS

Britain Joins the Slog Through Stem Cell Vineyards

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 COMMUNICATIONS

Why I Hope ‘Contagion’ Is Catching

Sometimes a crisis made in Hollywood understands the need for public health policies that should work.

Beyond Vaccine Politics to Biopolitics

Even in an election cycle that is dominated by the economy, feelings about cultural issues continue to be the most raw, especially where the power of modern medical science seems to conflict with tradition values. Welcome to the era of biopolitics.

NATIONAL SECURITY AND BIOETHICS

The Road to Abbotobad: The CIA in Your DNA

The CIA’s phony “hepatitis immunization” DNA gathering campaign in Abbottabad undermines not only U.S.-Pakistan relations but also the global polio eradication program and potentially our own public health.

SCIENCE IN SOCIETY

Are We Still a Nation of Science?

In the 21st century leadership in science is not optional for a nation that proposes to remain a superpower.