Posted on 01/29/2007 5:31:27 PM PST by neverdem
How the U.S. can be a world leader in the 21st century by placing a renewed focus on scientific research.
IN THE 20th century, issues of national and international security were transformed by a revolution in solid-state physics that allowed mankind to take flight and split the atom. Advances in physics also led to the development of the transistor, the semiconductor and ultimately to the information technology explosion that transformed economic life.
The 20th century was an American century in no small part because of American leadership in the application of the physical sciences. Although the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics were developed in Europe, the practical application of these ideas occurred in the United States. Imagine how different the last half a century would have been if nuclear weapons had first been created elsewhere or if the locus of the information technology revolution had been outside the U.S.
If the 20th century was defined by the physical sciences, the 21st century will be defined by life sciences. Lifespans will rise as cures are found for chronic diseases, and healthcare will come to be a larger share of the economy than manufacturing. Life-science advances will lead to agricultural revolutions, profound changes in energy technology and the development of new materials. The "drugs that help you study" that are pervasive on college campuses are just a precursor of developments that will alter human capacities and human nature in profound ways.
Will the United States lead in the life sciences in this century as it did in the physical sciences in the last? It is an important economic question, and its implications go far beyond to embrace issues of national security and moral leadership. As of now, based on investment levels, research output and the prestige of our research institutions, the...
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
LA Times. No thanks.
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