Friday, 20 Nov 92 Washington, DC
1. COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF NSF REAFFIRMS NSF'S BASIC
MISSION!
The brief Commission report, entitled "A Foundation for the 21st
Century," was received by the NSB this morning. William Danforth,
co-chair of the Commission, who is a physician by training, said
that diagnosis comes before treatment. But the diagnosis was in
the nature of, "the patient doesn't have a fever." As the
report says, "Failures in the market place have not been a result
of slow transfer of academic science to industry....The universi-
ties and the NSF should complement rather than replace the roles
of those engaged in technology development. Redirecting the NSF's
activities from research and education would have little or no
effect on the US competitive position in the near term, but would
severely restrict prospects for the long term." Later, at a press
conference, a puzzled reporter asked: "There is much reaffirma-
tion; what is there in the report that calls for change?"
2. WALTER MASSEY SAW THE COMMISSION REPORT AS A CALL FOR
CHANGE.
In Massey's view, the Commission recognized a need
for "a greater integration of science and engineering research
into society," a "more active use of partnerships, especially
with industry," and support for research that "links science and
technology." Massey remarked on the "gratifying" interest of the
scientific community through the more than 800 letters that were
ultimately received.
3. REVIEW PANEL EXONERATES LOW FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC
FIELDS!
In 1989, a 3-part article in the New Yorker by
professional fear-monger Paul Brodeur warned that EMF causes
miscarriages, induces cancer and addles our brains, and the
electric industry and the federal government have conspired to
conceal the facts from the public. At the request of OSTP, Oak
Ridge Associated Universities convened a highly qualified panel
of scientists to conduct the most thorough independent review of
the evidence to date. Last Friday, the panel reported that there
is no convincing evidence that exposure to EMF poses a health
hazard--and no justification for expanded research into EMF
health effects. Panic generated by the Brodeur articles has
already cost billions in law suits, relocated power lines,
redesigned equipment, magnetic shielding and postponed expansion
of power distribution. Will this report end the controversy? Of
course not. An entire industry (includ-ing researchers) is now
dependent on the fear of an EMF hazard.
4. AND SPEAKING OF WASTED BILLIONS, THE SHUTTLE MUST BE
REPLACED
if the US space industry is to compete, according
to a task group of the Vice President's Space Policy Advisory
Board. Yesterday, the panel put shuttle launch costs at about
$24,000/lb--6 times the price of gold on the spot market. But in
a public forum at Texas A&M on Wednesday, Deputy NASA
Administrator Aaron Cohen was still calling for adding another
shuttle to the fleet. The task group did not call for a heavy
lift vehicle, but for a system that could launch 10 to 25 tons;
the shuttle capacity is 16 tons.
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