Climate scientists have received threatening letters and e-mails for years. Their names have been dragged through the mud in congressional hearings, on newspaper editorial pages, on talk-radio shows, and in their home communities by those seeking to distract and mislead the public. Despite the continued harassment, however, scientists were still…

The ability of the American nation to remain secure in the face of both traditional military threats and international terrorism while maintaining the excellence and pace of American science and technology requires a delicate balance. It depends first and foremost on effective dialogue and joint problem solving by those responsible for maintaining…

A new view of science that goes beyond conventional perceptions of science as either good or bad is proposed. The new perspective sees science as process rather than product, bringing together scientific skills and human insight. It is seen as important for the public to understand that expert disagreement is part of the scientific enterprise.…

Explores scientific fraud, asserting that while few scientists actually falsify results, the field has become so competitive that many are misbehaving in other ways; an example would be unreasonable criticism by anonymous peer reviewers. (EV)

The gap in understanding between scientists and the field of science studies, particularly critics of the current state of the sciences, is examined. It is argued that the tension has little or nothing to do with political correctness, but rather with the cost of science and the social contract on which its financial support rests. (MSE)

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax bioterrorism mailings, the science community and others worried that technical articles might inadvertently aid those planning acts of terrorism. Some authors asked the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for permission to withhold critical information from…

This article suggests that the American public is experiencing growing alienation from scientific inquiry and there is no national science policy. The research capacity of the United States is declining, and scientists have been reluctant to speak out. Concern exists that open disagreement among scientists would be more damaging than helpful.…