Search

The article discusses the boom in natural gas production in the U.S. as of 2014 due to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, focusing on controversy over its potential implications for climate change and the environment. Topics include the method's ability to extract gas from otherwise inaccessible shale deposits, the economic impacts of the technology in the U.S. and worldwide, and possible impacts on water quality, earthquakes, and other environmental factors.

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss various reports within a special section of the issue examining science-related issues facing the winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential election, including the federal science policy in the House of Representatives, the influence of negative advertising on voting behavior, and a proposal in California to label genetically-modified food. Also presented are articles on funding, defense research, and energy research, including one on federal aid to basic research, one on the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) basic research budget, and one on cuts to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) research budget.

The article presents an analysis on the condition of medical science industry in the United States. It is argued that high standard of medical science is threatened of being priced out of reach by technical complexity, poor management and extensive paperworks. It examines the reasons why testing of new medical treatments are expensive, followed by discussion on why pharmaceutical and medical companies are taking poor corporate policies on medical research. The cost of testing a new drug in the U.S. rose and new treatments emerging has fallen.

The article focuses on the decision of the U.S. Congress to launch panels that will address problems with foreign influence identified in U.S.-funded research and the need to balance scientific openness with national security. Topics covered include efforts of foreign entities to steal results of U.S.-funded research, failure of some recipients of U.S. research grants to disclose their foreign ties and impact on the disagreement between research and intelligence communities.

Describes how science lobbyists are achieving unprecedented success in the United States Congress. Fierce competition for government cash; Desire to shape regulations; Factors that will test the science lobby's clout; Involvement of research universities, medical colleges, scientific societies and industry groups; Stand out science lobbyists. INSETS: Can ASTRA Restore a Glow to the Physical Sciences?;Tools of the Trade;Faces in the Crowd;Hawaii Rides a Wave of Research Earmarks

Focuses on the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California, a project of the United States Department of Energy, designed to overcome a problem with testing fusion reactions. Why the project is considered over budget and behind schedule; Information on the technical problems in the facility; Discussion on the political support given to the facility.

Scrutinizes the research and development budget proposal of United States President Bill Clinton for fiscal year 2001. Provisions of the proposed budget; Factors that have influenced the budget demands of scientists; Chances of the proposal's approval in the Congress.

The article reports on the emergence of a mysterious deadly disease that is killing the birds in several U.S. states, including Washington D.C., as of July 2021. Topics covered include how researchers are beginning to get a clear picture of the outbreak, the reason why cicadas are not be blamed for the outbreak and the dead birds infection with Mycoplasma bacteria. It also cites the species involved in the outbreak, including common grackles, blue jays and American robins.

Focuses on the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Researches being conducted at DARPA; Comments by Larry Dubios, who manages the Defense Sciences Office division; Money management; Reaction from policymakers; History of the agency; Outlook. INSET: The Real Father of the Internet.

The article focuses on the growing acknowledgment among the U.S. public of the reality of climate change. Topics covered include increase in number of U.S. people who believe climate change is real, survey by "The Washington Post" which revealed that almost 80% of U.S. people agree on the role of human activity in global warming and the move of most Republican politicians to take action in response to public concerns regarding climate change.

U.S. President George W. Bush Administration wants to develop low-yield and earth-penetrating nuclear weapons against new threats. But the laws of physics haven't changed. The satellite photos showed unmistakable signs of fortified underground bunkers. U.S. intelligence officials warned that workers would soon be churning out weapons of mass destruction within the maze of tunnels. The White House demanded a halt to the work and hinted at a preemptive military strike perhaps with nuclear weapons designed to penetrate and shatter buried targets. Some military analysts believe that a veiled threat from the United States to use a nuclear bunker buster helped convince Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi to abandon at least temporarily the Tarhunah tunnel complex near Tripoli. Now the Bush Administration wants to deter the next generation of adversaries by accelerating research into bunker busters and other nuclear weapons. This attempt to reshape the U.S. nuclear arsenal, coming on the heels of the war in Iraq and the 11 September terrorist attacks, has attracted relatively little public reaction. Opponents say the moves will undermine an array of arms control efforts and fuel a new arms race. Critics also challenge claims that the R&D effort will help lure talent to the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories. Critics are particularly upset by claims that weapons scientists can build an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon that produces little or no radioactive fallout.

Focuses on the research of forest ecologist Wally Covington on ponderosa pine ecosystems in Arizona. Ways to prevent fires; Approach of Covington on forest restoration; Background of Covington.

Focuses on the effort of the government to develop biodefenses against terrorism in the U.S. Debate in the congress concerning bioterrorism program; Design of the bioterrorism program; Budget of the program.

Reports the government policies on bioterrorism, nanotechnology and space science in the U.S. Financial plans for combat terrorism research; Constraints imposed by slumping economy and increased security demands to scientists; Details on research programs by the National Science Foundation. INSETS: NSF Shines Brightest in New Good-Government Scorecard.;White House Wants to Shuffle, But Will Congress Dance?.

Reports the approval of House Resolution 64 for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States Congress. Directive of the bill for the appointment of a deputy administrator for science and technology; Duty of the administrator in the EPA; Concern of EPA officials toward the legislation.

Details the study of stranded marine mammals in Assateague, Virginia. Availability of funds; Tension with marine conservationists; Reasons for animal stranding. INSET: Why Do Marine Mammals Strand?, by David Malakoff..

Reports on the possible retention of the number of research grants to be awarded by the United States National Institutes of Health in 2002 at 2001 levels. Attribution of stagnation of grants due to the agency's committing of majority of its 2002 budget to existing grants; Projection of cuts in budget for grants and laboratory equipment and databases. INSET: NIH Stays the Course in Chosing How To Spend Its... by, D.M..

Reports the response of science lobbyists on the lack of funding for physical science in the proposed Fiscal 2002 budget of President George W. Bush in the United States. Effort of rewriting the budgets of the National Science Foundation; Reduction of funding for the US Dept. of Office; Cancellation of several space science missions. INSET: Budget Could Send Space Science Off in New..., by Andrew Lawler..

Discusses the science and technology programs of the administration of former United States President Bill Clinton. Review of U.S. policy towards genetic cloning; Creation of the National Science and Technology Council and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; Reports from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that Mars meteorite shows signs of ancient life.

Reports the implications of the plan of United States President Bill Clinton to increase the budget of the National Science Foundation as of August 2000. Views of Clinton on the benefit of the budget to the economy; Reaction of science advocates on the plan.

Discusses the biological invasion of leafy spurge, a Eurasian perennial weed in Montana that threatens native grasses favored by cattle and wildlife. Implementation of classical biological control by researchers in Montana; Dangers posed by using biocontrol; Popularity of using biocontrol. INSET: Australian Biocontrol ...,by Elizabeth Finke.

Reveals that the collaboration between United States automakers and the federal government is set to unveil its first high-mileage, low-emission automobiles in 2000. The goal of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles; Criticism of the program; Automobile makers that are involved in the project; The challenges facing hybrid automobiles.

Reports on United States President Bill Clinton's research and development budget proposal for 2000. Statistics of forecasted spending for several scientific agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health; Reactions of agencies to statistics; Contrast of figures with promises made by the Clinton administration in 1998.

Focuses on how a United States budget surplus in 1998 has effected the way government grants are allocated to universities and the controversial practice of earmarking; Comments of Jim Bose, an engineer at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, who was himself the recipient of a grant to develop a self-heating bridge; Survey by the `Chronical of Higher Education,' which found government grants had increased from the 1995 level; Congress' stipulations over funding for university-based centers under peer review. INSET: Big bucks for big sky country, by Andrew Lawler.

Reports on an area of the Gulf of Mexico called the dead zone. How runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen from the land into the gulf chokes off oxygen; Concerns fishermen have that such areas could destroy fishing industry; Efforts of the government to investigate the link between the runoff and the declining populations in the area of the Gulf.

The article discusses debate in the U.S. congress over the use of science. Topics discussed include controversy over bills that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make the data about its science advisers publicly available, plans of the U.S. president Donald Trump, for regulations and comments from Paul Billings of the American Lung Association's Washington, on concerns over laws.

The article focuses on environmental regulations being introduced by U.S. President Donald J. Trump's administration for reducing funding for environmental science, as of March 2017. It states that the administration has been considering substantial spending cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and mentions that the initiative proposal for the reduction include science arm of EPA, and research office of NOAA.

The article discusses cuts to U.S. federal science funding proposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Topics include proposed cuts to the budgets of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), administration claims about congressional spending caps, and plans by the NSF to fund the construction of research facilities.

The article discusses how some scientists are concerned about potential funding for scientific research and agencies such as the U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), America's National Science Foundation (NSF), and the nation's Food and Drug Administration in the wake of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history which ended in 2019. A congressional continuing resolution and research project-related priority-setting are assessed.

The article focuses on concerns among U.S. politicians and law enforcement that foreign governments are getting valuable information out of U.S.-funded research. It states in August 2018 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sent out a letter reminding the need for proper reporting of foreign ties to over 10,000 research institutes. It mentions an indictment of nine Iranians accused of hacking the accounts of almost 4,000 professors at U.S. universities and stealing data.

The article reports that the U.S. scientific and academic communities have introduced a campaign to fend off changes to the nation's tax code that can harm higher education, biomedical innovation and can promote renewable energy. Topics discussed include eliminating the orphan drug tax credit, requirement to pay taxes on tuition allowances by graduate students and importance of endowment tax.

The article discusses the impact of the outcome of the 2014 U.S. midterm elections on science policy. Topics include Republican senator James Inhofe, who believes human-induced climate change is a scientific hoax, the limited scope that Republicans have for unilateral action, and congressional priorities prior to the beginning of the 114th Congress in January 2015, such as the 2015 budget for the fiscal year that began on October 1, 2014 and the research and development (R&D) tax credit.

This article focuses on the possibility for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the Republicans in the U.S. Congress to eliminate scores of science-related regulations and directives issued by U.S. President Barack Obama. It discusses the possibility for Trump to target rules and executive orders that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and statements from Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan about the plan.

The article discusses several areas of science that the next president of the U.S. should addressed which include the evolution of pathogens, gene editing technology and rising sea level due to climate change.

The article discusses environmentalists' and conservationists' opposition to 2014 U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to lease tar sands on federal land on Asphalt Ridge near Vernal, Utah to private enterprises for the extraction of oil deposits. Topics include director of energy at the environmental group Grand Canyon Trust in Flagstaff, Arizona, Taylor McKinnon, the ecological and environmental aspects of developing tar sands, and U.S. energy development policies.

The article discusses the potential impacts of U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed 2015 governmental budget request on the U.S. scientific community, focusing on the flat or reduced funds for most research and education agencies. Topics include analysis of funding likely to be approved by the U.S. Congress, a breakdown of the budget for organizations including the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the few programs that would gain funding.