TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
This online survey about natural gas fracking and beliefs about technology will seek to understand why the divisions on these issues don’t necessarily match traditional political boundaries.
INVESTING IN SCIENCE
The coming austerity crisis could set us back years in science research if lawmakers don’t come together to protect this critical long-term investment in economic growth. Here’s an overview of where cuts will hurt the most.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
At an event at CAP, US Patent and Trademark Director David Kappos addressed the need for the patent system to adapt and respond to the increasingly important role of software in all aspects of technology. But the issue isn’t cut and dry.
GOVERNMENT DATA
Information collected and disseminated by government science agencies plays a critical role in predicting where storms will go and how severe they will be.The government also plays an important role in providing this information to the public.
WOMEN IN STEM
Fewer women than men choose science and engineering majors in college and fewer of those who do enter technical careers upon graduation. And those women who do enter technical careers are paid less on average than men. But a new study suggests it doesn’t have to be this way.
CYBER SECURITY
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta painted a bleak picture of American preparedness for cyber attacks, warning that America is open to a threat that could “be just as destructive as the terrorist attack of 9/11.”
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
The discovery of physics’ most elusive particle this summer is a tremendous accomplishment for humanity, but it also raises a few questions about our scientific priorities here in the United States.
ONLINE PRIVACY
Online privacy protections in the European Union are on the cusp of becoming even more robust. Pending rules have sharp teeth that would limit how companies can use personal browsing information, spooking some U.S.-based companies.
I.T. IN GOVERNMENT
The Obama administration recently unveiled a number of valuable digital reforms–including new APIs and mobile apps–that will make it much easier for the public to access, use, and understand government data and information
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The debate over hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has a religious aura to it, despite each side claiming to have science on its side. Adam Briggle discusses the politics of fracking, and the perils of values debates that masquerade as science issues.
DATA PRIVACY
In his testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental affairs, Peter Swire argues for four key reforms to improve federal data privacy and online security policy.
SCIENCE ICONS
Sally Ride, the first American woman and youngest American to orbit the earth in space, was a champion of science education, climate science, curiosity, and truth. She died Monday at the age of 61.
POLITICS OF SCIENCE
Natural gas fracking has ignited a fiery political debate, but the two sides do not fall evenly along party traditional party lines. Perhaps technology is giving rise to a new ideological dichotomy: ‘precautionaries’ and ‘proactionaries’.
TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
The partnership between the Google Art Project and art museums has created a high-quality virtual experience for users that both enhances and challenges the relevance of physical museums.
BIOLOGY AND COMPUTING
We may face a biological creation based on organic structures that is more intelligent than a human being before a silicon-based version arrives, argues John Chelen.
SCIENCE AND CIVIL RIGHTS
A recent study by Mark Regnerus claimed to find that children raised by same-sex couples turn out to have more problems as adults than those raised by heterosexual parents. Ilana Yurkiewicz explains why policymakers should ignore it.
CLIMATE AND OCEANS
The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate – twice as fast as the rest of the planet – and according to a new report, those changes will be a key driver of geopolitics in the coming years.
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?
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft’s bold decision to have Internet Explorer 10 automatically send a Do Not Track signal to websites and search engines is opening up a vigorous debate about the management of consumers’ private browsing data.
I.T. IN GOVERNMENT
A new White House strategy could revolutionize transparency in government by reforming the fundamentals of how government uses information technology.
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.