Current News From the National Academies
Koshland Science Museum Announces Fall Events
August 25 --
The Marian Koshland Science Museums fall program will begin in Sept. and feature a lecture on antibiotics and resistant germs, a science-inspired scavenger hunt, and a competition celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Public Participation Usually Improves Environmental Decisions
August 22 --
When done correctly, public participation improves the quality and legitimacy of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. Agencies should recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by law. The report details principles and approaches to successfully involve the public.
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NASA Program Could Affect Long-Term Space Exploration Goals
August 21 --
NASAs Exploration Technology Development Program is making progress, but is too closely coupled to the agencys Constellation Program, says a new report from the National Research Council. Significant constraints a limited budget, large mandated work force, and an aggressive time frame for delivery could seriously compromise long-term space exploration goals, such as extended lunar missions and human exploration of Mars.
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Dietary Supplements for Horses, Dogs, and Cats Need Better Regulation
August 21 --
Clear and precise regulations need to be established so only safe animal dietary supplements are allowed on the market, says a new National Research Council report that examined whether three supplements -- lutein, evening primrose oil, and garlic -- may cause harmful health effects in horses, dogs, or cats. In addition, an improved adverse event reporting system is needed to help quantify safe intake levels.
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Seven Health Professionals Selected for Competitive Policy Fellowship Program
August 20 --
The Institute of Medicine and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have named seven health professionals to spend a year working in the executive branch or a congressional office with responsibilities for health legislation and programs. As Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows, they will assist policymakers with health-related issues, engage in discussions on health policy, and participate in leadership development programs.
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Federally Managed Dams Need Better Security Plan
August 19 --
The Bureau of Reclamation has invested significant resources in security and is better able to protect its facilities and personnel, says a new report from the National Research Council. However, the bureau should take a more strategic approach to its security program and develop a long-term plan that addresses policy, programmatic, and resource issues, said the committee that wrote the report.
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U.S. Should Consider Conventional Prompt Global Strike Technology
August 15 --
A new report from the National Research Council finds that conventional prompt global strike -- a military option under consideration by the U.S. Department of Defense -- could be of particular value in some scenarios, because it would eliminate the dilemma of having to choose between using nuclear weapons or not responding at all to a fleeting opportunity to deal with a dangerous threat. The report provides near-, mid-, and long-term recommendations for possible CPGS development.
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Cognitive Neuroscience Research and National Security
August 13 --
The intelligence community frequently monitors global technology trends to identify advances that could impact national security, yet the pace and breadth of research in emergent fields can overwhelm intelligence analysts, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report reviews the field of cognitive neuroscience, suggests which areas of research the intelligence community should focus on, and discusses how these areas could impact national security.
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Research on Weather and Air Surveillance Radar Should Persist
August 11 --
Development efforts for Multifunction Phased Array Radar, a system that could fulfill both weather and aircraft surveillance needs, should go forward, and continued research should resolve key technical issues and determine whether the system could operate cost-effectively, says a new report from the National Research Council.
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Report Offers Guidance on Assessing Preschoolers
August 4 --
A new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council offers guidance on how to assess children in preschool and early childhood programs such as Head Start. Well-planned assessments can help improve programs and lead to better outcomes for children, but poor assessments or misuse of results can harm both children and programs, the report says. Extreme caution is needed in implementing high-stakes assessments in early childhood settings.
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