Risks vs. Gains
1
From the Editor Leslie C. Aiello President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Roger Bingham Co-Founder and Director, The Science Network G. Steven Burrill CEO, Burrill & Company Arthur Caplan Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania George M. Church Director, Center for Computational Genetics, Harvard Medical School Rita Colwell Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Drew Endy Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University Ed Felten Director, Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University Kaigham J. Gabriel Deputy Director , Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Michael S. Gazzaniga Director, Sage Center for the Study of Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara David Gross Frederick W. Gluck Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara (Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004) Lene Vestergaard Hau Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics, Harvard University Danny Hillis Co-chairman, Applied Minds Daniel M. Kammen Director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley Vinod Khosla Founder, Khosla Ventures Christof Koch Lois and Victor Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology, California Institute of Technology Lawrence M. Krauss Director, Origins Initiative, Arizona State University Morten L. Kringelbach Director, Hedonia: TrygFonden Research Group, University of Oxford and University of Aarhus Steven Kyle Professor of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University Robert S. Langer David H. Koch Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lawrence Lessig Professor, Harvard Law School Ernest J. Moniz Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology John P. Moore Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University M. Granger Morgan Professor and Head of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University Miguel Nicolelis Co-director, Center for Neuroengineering, Duke University Martin Nowak Director, Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University Robert Palazzo Provost and Professor of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Carolyn Porco Leader, Cassini Imaging Science Team, and Director, CICLOPS, Space Science Institute Vilayanur S. Ramachandran Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego Lisa Randall Professor of Physics, Harvard University Martin Rees Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge John Reganold Regents Professor of Soil Science, Washington State University Jeffrey D. Sachs Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University Eugenie Scott Executive Director, National Center for Science Education Terry Sejnowski Professor and Laboratory Head of Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies Michael Shermer Publisher, Skeptic magazine Michael Snyder Professor of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine Michael E. Webber Associate Director, Center for International Energy & Environmental Policy, University of Texas at Austin Steven Weinberg Director, Theory Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979) George M. Whitesides Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University Nathan Wolfe Director, Global Viral Forecasting Initiative R. James Woolsey, Jr. Venture Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners Anton Zeilinger Professor of Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics, Quantum Information, University of Vienna Jonathan Zittrain Professor, Harvard Law School Mariette DiChristina is editor in chief of Scientific American. Find her on Twitter @SAeditorinchief BOARD OF ADVISERS 4 Scientific American, May 2011 Illustration by Nick Higgins O ne of the biggest issues of our time is energy: where to get it, how to save it, and how it relates to our climate, food and water. Naturally, we cover this topic in our pages in multiple ways, and from many angles, in practically every edition. In our January issue, for instance, we ran an interview with clean technology in- vestor Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a mem- ber of our board of advisers [“In Search of the Radical Solution,” interview by Mark Fischetti]. Khosla made a bold statement: “If an innovative idea has a 90 percent probability of failing, then I like it. Why? Because it is likely to be the one that has a quantum jump in performance.” In contrast, he said, only pursuing “high- probability areas” yields results that are “all incremental.” I’m not sure I would put it that way, but we agree that big ideas are part of a portfolio of technologies to address national and global energy needs. Thus, our cover story presents “7 Radi- cal Energy Solutions.” None is probably the “ultimate” answer— in fact, they all share a high risk of failure. But they could be part of a rational combination of technologies and policies, balancing the requirements of energy security, environmental soundness and public health. The article starts on page 38. On a personal note, we are saddened to report that one of the stories in the cover feature is the last piece we will be able to run by writer JR Minkel, whom we lost too young earlier this year. JR was a writer of great intelligence, passion and curiosity. We will try to draw inspiration and solace from his memory as we con- sider the challenges of the future ahead. We will need them. Risks vs. Gains CALLING ALL SCIENTISTS The National Academies last fall reported that the U.S. ranks 27 out of 29 wealthy countries in proportion of college stu- dents with degrees in science or engineering. It called on fed- eral and state governments to improve teaching in math and science by targeting early childhood education and public school curricula and by supporting teacher training in crucial subjects. But many science teachers today, particularly in mid- dle school and younger grades, do not have a science degree. Enter 1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days, which aims to help teachers and scientists to connect with one another. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN is launching this program as part of its three-year (that’s the 1,000 days) Change the Equation initiatives with our parent company, Nature Publishing Group. The idea is simple. We seek scientists, mathematicians and engineers who are willing to volunteer to advise on curricula, answer a class- room’s questions or visit a school—for instance, to participate in a lab or to talk about what you do. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers: We hope you will consider participating in this worthy program by volunteering using the form found at www.ScientificAmerican.com. Teachers: We plan to be ready with a geographic listing of experts near you by the beginning of the 2011–2012 aca- demic year. Also on our Web site in May will be free science-related activities for parents and kids, called Bring Science Home. Next issue, I will tell you about another new program— this one for enthusiasts wishing to work directly with scien- tists on real research. —M.D.
Transcript of Risks vs. Gains
From the Editor
Leslie C. AielloPresident, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research
Roger BinghamCo-Founder and Director, The Science Network
G. Steven BurrillCEO, Burrill & Company
Arthur CaplanEmanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania
George M. ChurchDirector, Center for Computational Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Rita Colwell Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Drew EndyProfessor of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Ed Felten Director, Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University
Kaigham J. GabrielDeputy Director , Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Michael S. GazzanigaDirector, Sage Center for the Study of Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara
David Gross Frederick W. Gluck Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara (Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004)
Lene Vestergaard Hau Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics, Harvard University
Danny Hillis Co-chairman, Applied Minds
Daniel M. KammenDirector, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
Vinod KhoslaFounder, Khosla Ventures
Christof KochLois and Victor Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology, California Institute of Technology
Lawrence M. KraussDirector, Origins Initiative, Arizona State University
Morten L. KringelbachDirector, Hedonia: TrygFonden Research Group, University of Oxford and University of Aarhus
Steven KyleProfessor of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
Robert S. LangerDavid H. Koch Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lawrence LessigProfessor, Harvard Law School
Ernest J. MonizCecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
John P. MooreProfessor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
M. Granger MorganProfessor and Head of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
Miguel NicolelisCo-director, Center for Neuroengineering, Duke University
Martin NowakDirector, Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University
Robert PalazzoProvost and Professor of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Carolyn PorcoLeader, Cassini Imaging Science Team, and Director, CICLOPS, Space Science Institute
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego
Lisa RandallProfessor of Physics, Harvard University
Martin ReesProfessor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge
John ReganoldRegents Professor of Soil Science, Washington State University
Jeffrey D. SachsDirector, The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Eugenie ScottExecutive Director, National Center for Science Education
Terry SejnowskiProfessor and Laboratory Head of Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Michael ShermerPublisher, Skeptic magazine
Michael SnyderProfessor of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine
Michael E. WebberAssociate Director, Center for International Energy & Environmental Policy, University of Texas at Austin
Steven WeinbergDirector, Theory Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979)
George M. WhitesidesProfessor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Nathan WolfeDirector, Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
R. James Woolsey, Jr. Venture Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners
Anton ZeilingerProfessor of Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics, Quantum Information, University of Vienna
Jonathan ZittrainProfessor, Harvard Law School
Mariette DiChristina is editor in chief of Scientific American. Find her on Twitter @SAeditorinchief
BOARD OF ADVISERS
4 Scientific American, May 2011 Illustration by Nick Higgins
O ne of the biggest issues of our time is energy: where to get it, how to save it, and how it relates to our climate, food and water. Naturally, we cover this topic in our pages in multiple ways, and from many angles, in practically every edition. In our January
issue, for instance, we ran an interview with clean technology in-vestor Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a mem-ber of our board of advisers [“In Search of the Radical Solution,” interview by Mark Fischetti]. Khosla made a bold statement: “If an innovative idea has a 90 percent probability of failing, then I like it. Why? Because it is likely to be the one that has a quantum jump in performance.” In contrast, he said, only pursuing “high-probability areas” yields results that are “all incremental.”
I’m not sure I would put it that way, but we agree that big ideas are part of a portfolio of technologies to address national and global energy needs. Thus, our cover story presents “7 Radi-cal Energy Solutions.” None is probably the “ultimate” answer—in fact, they all share a high risk of failure. But they could be part of a rational combination of technologies and policies, balancing the requirements of energy security, environmental soundness and public health. The article starts on page 38.
On a personal note, we are saddened to report that one of the stories in the cover feature is the last piece we will be able to run by writer JR Minkel, whom we lost too young earlier this year. JR was a writer of great intelligence, passion and curiosity. We will try to draw inspiration and solace from his memory as we con-sider the challenges of the future ahead. We will need them.
Risks vs. GainsCa l l i n g a l l S C i e n t i S t S
The National Academies last fall reported that the U.S. ranks 27 out of 29 wealthy countries in proportion of college stu-dents with degrees in science or engineering. It called on fed-eral and state governments to improve teaching in math and science by targeting early childhood education and public school curricula and by supporting teacher training in crucial subjects. But many science teachers today, particularly in mid-dle school and younger grades, do not have a science degree.
Enter 1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days, which aims to help teachers and scientists to connect with one another. Scientific AmericAn is launching this program as part of its three-year (that’s the 1,000 days) Change the Equation initiatives with our parent company, Nature Publishing Group. The idea is simple. We seek scientists, mathematicians and engineers who are willing to volunteer to advise on curricula, answer a class-room’s questions or visit a school—for instance, to participate in a lab or to talk about what you do.
Scientists, mathematicians, engineers: We hope you will consider participating in this worthy program by volunteering using the form found at www.ScientificAmerican.com.
Teachers: We plan to be ready with a geographic listing of experts near you by the beginning of the 2011–2012 aca-demic year.
Also on our Web site in May will be free science-related activities for parents and kids, called Bring Science Home.
Next issue, I will tell you about another new program—this one for enthusiasts wishing to work directly with scien-tists on real research. —M.D.
sad0511Edit3p.indd 4 3/23/11 5:36:21 PM
