Science and Technology Legislation

Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Difficult Choices in the Race to Innovate and Compete
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Jun 21, 2021
The Hill
Senate passage of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act recognizes the fierce competition across the globe for leadership in key technology areas. The potential for such a momentous national investment in resources and attention brings with it options and choices for policymakers to consider.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Biden's Proposed New Health Agency Would Emphasize Innovation. Here's How It Might Work
Luke Muggy, Catherine C. Cohen, Kristie L. Gore
May 24, 2021
Los Angeles Times
President Biden has proposed a new health agency modeled on DARPA to work on groundbreaking research. This agency could pursue the kind of high-risk research that can lead to high-reward results and help get more medical treatments to market sooner.
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Science and Technology Legislation
commentary
Scientific Research Integrity Demands Transparency—the Law Should Require It Too
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Apr 12, 2021
China pays U.S. scientists for their innovations in exchange for money and access to research laboratories and speaking and publication opportunities. They require the researchers to keep these agreements secret from their employers or the U.S. government. Perhaps it is time to codify scientific transparency into law.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends
Colin P. Clarke
Aug 13, 2018
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counterterrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
After the March for Science: What Now?
Elizabeth L. Petrun Sayers, Jaime Madrigano @JMadrigano
Apr 26, 2017
United Press International
Politicized rhetoric may imply otherwise, but scientific expertise and civic participation are not at odds with each other. As the scientific community decides how to respond to shifting political attitudes about science, it's time to focus on a long-term strategy for science policy in the United States.
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Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
How California Is Trying to Keep Autonomous Vehicle Development on Track
Nidhi Kalra
Apr 10, 2017
TechCrunch
California's Department of Motor Vehicles recently proposed new regulations governing the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. Will this help retain the state's status as a testing and deployment ground for the technology, and will it make California safer?
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Cybersecurity
commentary
The False Choice at the Core of the Apple-FBI Standoff
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Mar 21, 2016
The National Interest
The Apple-FBI case should spark a broader debate among technology companies concerning their role in maintaining the privacy and security balance. A starting point should be to recognize that the majority of cyberattacks are related to phishing—and a user's action—not to whether a device can be secured.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
How the 'Wonks' of Public Policy and the 'Geeks' of Tech Can Get Together
Lillian Ablon, Andrea M. Abler
Mar 18, 2016
TechCrunch
Conventional wisdom says that technology innovates and disrupts, while public policy regulates and controls. What might a better integration of the commercial tech sector with the policy community look like?
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Cybersecurity
commentary
The Cost of Security in the iPhone Era
Bradley Wilson
Feb 26, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
As the security on the iPhone better protects users from criminals, it also excels at keeping law enforcement from accessing the data. The dispute between the FBI and Apple over unlocking the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers continues but the real debate is about whether society wants legislation that weakens iPhone security for law enforcement.
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The Internet
commentary
The Clash of Internet Civilizations: Why Neither Side Should Prevail
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Apr 10, 2015
Government Technology
The debate over net neutrality pits two opposing philosophies against each other — one pushing for the continued evolution of the Internet as an open information superhighway, the other asserting that the Internet's evolution needs to take more account of the many ways it is and will be used.
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Science and Technology Legislation

Difficult Choices in the Race to Innovate and Compete

Biden's Proposed New Health Agency Would Emphasize Innovation. Here's How It Might Work

Scientific Research Integrity Demands Transparency—the Law Should Require It Too

Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends

After the March for Science: What Now?

How California Is Trying to Keep Autonomous Vehicle Development on Track

The False Choice at the Core of the Apple-FBI Standoff

How the 'Wonks' of Public Policy and the 'Geeks' of Tech Can Get Together

The Cost of Security in the iPhone Era

The Clash of Internet Civilizations: Why Neither Side Should Prevail

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