US President Barack Obama speaks at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama pledged Monday to return the United States to a "high water mark" of scientific achievement, announcing an aim to commit three percent of GDP to research and development. (AFP/Saul Loeb)
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington April 27, 2009. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque