Science and Technology Education
STEM-in-society programs, which help students understand the complex relationships among science and technology and society, have never been more needed—but they are in jeopardy nationwide.
Bioeconomy
Much as local libraries laid a foundation for the information age by building American literacy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, community bio labs could usher in the bio-age by building bioliteracy.
Chemical Innovation
The chemical industry’s last century is a story of highs and lows—both provide lessons that can be used to design its future.
Soil Conservation
Relying on outdated soil quality data to value farmland creates a disincentive for farmers to invest in conserving topsoil.
Advanced Manufacturing
How Navajo Tech’s advanced manufacturing program fights brain drain from ancestral lands.
Indigenous Entrepreneurs
Diné entrepreneurs entwine economic renewal with mutual obligation, providing a model of regional economic development that serves the community.
Book Review
Published to commemorate the centennial of the Scopes “monkey” trial, a new book examines the legacy of the trial, culminating in a crucial warning about future litigation over the teaching of evolution in the United States.
Real Numbers
The intramural research program at the National Institutes of Health generates benefits far beyond the property lines of its facilities and laboratories.
Federal Science Policy
The Trump administration’s overhaul of federal science policy will impact all Americans. What does the public think about these changes to federal research budgets and policies?
Science Diplomacy
The United States has focused on preventing the transfer of sensitive technology to adversarial nations rather than on improving its ability to collaborate internationally.
Vol. XLI, No. 4, Summer 2025
How can Americans “engage with biotechnology the same way they do with cell phones and computers”? In an interview for the Summer 2025 issue, Senator Todd Young explains why the emerging bioeconomy should be understood as an urgent opportunity as well as a potential military and security vulnerability. As chair of the National Security Commission on the Emerging Bioeconomy, Young is optimistic that both parties are willing to foster the bioindustries of the future in order to create “a more informed, empowered, and resilient society capable of leveraging science and technology to solve a wide range of global challenges.”
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In response to essays published in Issues, our readers weigh in on critical topics in policy related to science, technology, and society.
Summer 2025
A Discussion of
Responses By
Summer 2025
A Discussion of
Responses By
On a future Mars overrun by wealthy tourists, a young explorer ventures out to hear an elusive Martian song vocalized by the long-time residents of the planet. But they quickly run up against what it really means to seek—and share—intangible cultural goods.
An astronomer responds to Indrapramit Das’ new short story “The Song Between Worlds.”
Response
Deji Bryce Olukotun’s “When We Were Patched” imagines a futuristic tennis-like sport officiated by a blend of humans and machines. When the machine-augmented assistant suspects its human partner isn’t following the sport’s rules to a tee, they clash over the meaning of unsportsmanlike conduct and fair play.
An expert on algorithmic bias responds to Deji Bryce Olukotun’s “When We Were Patched.”
Response
On the floor of the Arctic Ocean, an isolated roadside bar buried in a vast network of tunnels is staffed by a claustrophobic waitress who dreams of life above the surface. When a pair of outlaws tries to rob the bar, its patrons and employees are forced to work together to stave them off—pushing the boundaries of survival and trust in extreme environments.
To work toward better climate policy and governance, we need to expand our vision of what’s possible.
Response
A recent case in Norway demonstrates how dual-use controls can constrict international scientific collaboration without offering commensurate protections.
The United States’ global leadership in research was built on the foundation of substantial government investments in science and technology (S&T) made during World War II. In the subsequent decades, S&T has… Read More
In recent years, science and technology have emerged as critical domains reshaping the landscape of international relations and national security. In particular, the United States and the European Union have sought to… Read More
In the three decades after the Cold War ended, science diplomacy became an important component of the foreign policy toolkit. In particular, it became a key tool for responding to global challenges… Read More
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