Science and Technology Innovation Program
Events
Where Will the Science of Today Lead Us Tomorrow?
Nanotechnology promises to affect virtually all aspects of our daily lives, from consumer products and food to medicine and energy, and yet the majority of Americans still know little to nothing about it. As part of its mission to improve public awareness, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies uses new media to convey complex technological applications and implications to a public still puzzled about basic science.
Budget Hero – Election Edition
The creators of “Budget Hero,” the popular serious game which helps people of all ages understand the federal budget and the trade-offs involved in the budgetary process, have launched an Election Edition to illuminate the budget impact of policies championed by President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney as well as those related to the impending “fiscal cliff.”
Genomics and the Future of Medicine and Society
Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of HealthThe Human Genome Project (HGP) began in 1990 as an effort by researchers from around the world to map and sequence the human genome—the totality of human DNA—as well as the genomes of important experimental organisms, like yeast, the nematode worm, and mouse. In 2000, the collaborators in the HGP announced the completion of a draft revealing the sequence of 90 percent of human DNA. In a Director's Forum, Dr. Francis Collins discussed the initial analysis of the human genome sequence, its medical benefits as well as its social, legal, and ethical implications.
Navigating the Emerging Science of Synthetic Biology
Imagine combining the principles and techniques of engineering, biology, and nanotechnology to create new products—revolutionary medical treatments, biofuels, and other innovations. The Wilson Center is studying the promises and perils of this emerging field of synthetic biology.
The National Broadband Map: A Case Study on Open Innovation for National Policy
A whitepaper on the policy and technology behind the National Broadband Map, an open-source geographic information systems application allowing users to access detailed statistics on internet connectivity. This project demonstrates the value of transparency, collaboration, and cooperation in government projects.
The Internet: Environmental Savior or Bane?
Will information technology provide new solutions to our environmental dilemmas? A new collection of research studies, edited by the Wilson Center's Foresight and Governance Project Director David Rejeski, examines the environmental impact of the Internet economy.
On Cybersecurity, Crowdsourcing, and Social Cyber-Attack
Social media is responsible for much positive change in the world. But these new tools can be used by bad actors to foment strife and undermine stability, as seen during violent incidents in the Assam state of northeast India in July 2012. Cybersecurity efforts must take into account the growing potential for cyber-attack using social media, where hoax messages are incorporated into a stream of otherwise legitimate messages, and understand how quickly mobile apps and text services can disseminate false information.
David Rejeski Addresses the House Committee on Science on the Environmental and Safety Impacts of Nanotechnology
On Thursday, November 17, 2005, Director of the Wilson Center's Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, David Rejeski, briefed the Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on current concerns about the environmental and safety impacts of nanotechnology and the status and adequacy of related research programs and plans.
