Scientific glasnost.

The author reflects on the move of Russian leaders to transform their old-line, industrial society into a modern, knowledge-based economy driven by innovative science and technology. The author states that Russian science is already lagging behind other nations due to the 2.6% research papers published between 2004 and 2008. The author infers the move of the scientists to sign an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the imminent collapse of its science.