Global Tour of Innovation Policy
Every issue explores cutting-edge developments in technology, medicine, education, climate change, and much more. Articles provide in-depth analyses of science and technology’s impact on public policy, the economy, and society—bringing today’s best minds to bear on tomorrow’s most critical topics.
From the Hill
From the Hill – Fall 2007
President Bush signs competitiveness bill On August 9, President Bush signed into law the bipartisan America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272), aimed at bolstering basic research and education in science, technology, engineering, and… Read More
Perspectives
Ethanol: Train Wreck Ahead?
The new vogue in energy policy is plant-derived alternative fuels. Corn-based ethanol, and to a lesser extent oilseed-based biodiesel, have emerged from the margins to take center stage. However, although ethanol and… Read More
Features
Archives – Fall 2007
TATIANA GARMENDIA, Figure 2055, Oil and gold leaf on canvas, 20 x 16 inches, 2000–2002. Figure 2055 The invention of the X-ray in 1895 along with the identification of various radioactive… Read MoreThe Post-Scientific Society
The United States is blessed with an extraordinarily successful system for the generation and application of innovation, as evidenced by its world leadership over the past half century or more in developing… Read MoreIndian Innovation: Action on Many Fronts
Because India is so large and so diverse and because change is occurring at such a rapid pace, it is impossible to talk about a single innovation policy. Conditions vary widely among… Read MoreExcelsior: The Korean Innovation Story
When Korea launched its industrialization drive in the early 1960s, it was a typical developing country, with poor resource and production bases, a small domestic market, and a large population dependent on… Read MoreThe Chrysanthemum Meets the Eagle
The interplay of U.S. and Japanese innovation policy began in the mid-19th century when Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay in 1853. The Japanese witnessed the technological power of a modern navy… Read MoreMexico’s Innovation Cha-cha
Like many nations, Mexico has been making an effort to increase its investment in R&D and in scientific manpower. But although Mexico’s investment in science has grown significantly in absolute terms during… Read MorePolishing Belgium’s Innovation Jewel
Situated in the northern part of Belgium, the Flanders region is a natural meeting point for knowledge and talent, attracted by its highly skilled population, splendid cultural heritage, outstanding quality of life,… Read MoreThe Global Tour of Innovation Policy: Introduction
Innovation does not take place in a laboratory. It occurs in a complex web of activities that transpire in board rooms and court rooms, in universities and coffee shops, on Wall St.… Read MoreHow to Fix Our Dam Problems
California is the world’s eighth largest economy and generates 13% of U.S. wealth. Yet Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says high temperatures, low rainfall, and a growing population have created a water crisis there.… Read More
Real Numbers
Global trends in R&D Spending
Several years of economic growth have benefited investment in science, technology, and innovation. Business investment has increased and consumer spending has rebounded. This has increased demand for innovative products, processes, and services,… Read More
Book Reviews
Risky business
There are three classes of disasters, distinguished by their cause: deliberately initiated disasters, such as the 9/11 attacks; natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005; and industrial disasters, such as the… Read More
Despoiled seas
Market hunting has been prohibited in the United States for more than 100 years, and today we tend to look aghast at the practice that exterminated the passenger pigeon while bringing many… Read More