May 16th, 2013
There is a practice in the Senate, primarily of corporate lobbyists, to hire low-income folks, usually minorities, to hold their place in line before Supreme Court or congressional hearings. There are firms that actually hire the standees, and contract with lobbying firms or corporations. Depending on the interest in the issue, standees can wait for hours before a hearing starts. Last time I checked with one of them, a standee told me he earned $10 an hour. Read More
May 15th, 2013
This week, the National Research Council is holding public comment meetings on increasing public access to federally funded research—both access to the data and publications. We encouraged the UCS Science Network to weigh in with their own ideas on how the government can increase public access to its science. After all, this is the science that we all pay for through our tax dollars. Read More
May 8th, 2013
On Tuesday, District Court Judge Edward Korman spoke incredibly strongly against the Obama administration’s decision to appeal his order that would require the Food and Drug Administration to use science to determine whether over the counter access to emergency contraception is safe for women of all ages. Read More
May 2nd, 2013
The targeting of specific government grants has become old hat in Washington DC, an easy way to score cheap political points. Targets have included fruit fly research in Paris, studies of duck genitalia, and research involving shrimp on a treadmill, but in all cases, further investigation has shown that the seemingly odd projects have direct ties to real-world applications. These skirmishes have now escalated into power grabs that serve to undermine entire fields of research. Read More
May 1st, 2013
I feel like Charlie Brown.
A few weeks ago, I celebrated as a federal judge ordered the FDA to follow the medical evidence and make the emergency contraception known as “Plan B” available over the counter without restrictions. Under both President Obama and his predecessor, the decision had been thoroughly politicized. I thought that the judge’s ruling would provide the Obama administration with political cover. Surely they would respect the decision. Read More
April 29th, 2013
This Wednesday, I’ll be speaking at the inaugural event of ScienceOnlineDC about the recent UCS report I co-authored, Grading Government Transparency: Scientists’ Freedom to Speak (and Tweet) at Federal Agencies. ScienceOnlineDC is a newly formed Washington, DC satellite of ScienceOnline, a nonprofit organization that facilitates conversations, community, and collaborations at the intersection of science and the Web. Read More
April 26th, 2013
President Obama is expected to address the National Academy of Sciences on Monday to mark its 150th anniversary, according to an all-staff email that went to NAS employees yesterday. The speech will stream live at 11:15 a.m. Eastern Time at www.national-academies.org. Read More
April 22nd, 2013
The UCS Science Network brings thousands of scientists and experts together to leverage their unique knowledge and skills to promote science-based, practical solutions to the challenges we face. Our staff in Washington, such as my colleague Celia Wexler, keep an eye on Congress, and we alert members of the Science Network when legislation is being considered that would strengthen or weaken the role of science in policy making. And while with each passing week (and last week, for me, in particular) it is becoming harder and harder to believe, sometimes members of Congress do pay attention to informed constituents. Read More
March 20th, 2013
Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and man-made chemical. It is a critical ingredient in explosives such as rocket fuel and fireworks. Perchlorate may have adverse health effects because it can disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones needed for normal growth and development. The Scientific Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency is looking at scientific research to determine what – if any – level of perchlorate is safe. Who do you think should be examining that evidence and helping EPA make this decision? I think I would want scientists with both expertise and independence. Read More
March 14th, 2013
You have likely heard that science journalism is in decline. No surprises there – one after another we have watched newspapers reduce the number of science beat reporters or announce the closing of their science desks altogether. We have also heard a great deal of debate over what the new on-line sources of information mean for how science is understood. Read More
© 2013
