upcoming exhibitions · 2006-03-28 · vol. 6 number 1 infocusmagazine.org infocus infocus p.o.box...

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Winter/Spring 2006vol. 6 number 1

infocusmagazine.org

INFOCUS

INFOCUSP.O. Box 665Holmes, PA 19043

PRE-SORT STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 6426WASHINGTON, DC

Museum Muses: Barton Lidicé Benes and Justine CooperFeb. 12 - May 1

This exhibition pairs Justine Cooper and Barton Lidicé Benes, two artistswhose work addresses museum issues and the nature of collecting. Benescollects bits of rubbish left behind by celebrities and assembles them intohis own whimsical cabinets of curiosity. Cooper spent a year as artist-in-residence at the American Museum of Natural History, photographingthe institution’s collections and labyrinth of storage spaces.

At the National Academy of Sciences2100 C St. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (photo ID required)<national-academies.org/arts>202-334-2436

Upcoming Exhibitions

Patricia Olynyk, Cenesthesia: Taste (detail), 2005,

digital print on rag paper, 115 x 44 inches

The Office of Exhibitions and Cultural Programs of theNational Academy of Sciences presents an exploration of the

intersection of art, science, engineering, and medicine.

Sensing Terrains: An Installation by Patricia Olynyk

Feb. 12 - June 16

In this exhibition, Patricia Olynyk juxtaposes triggers of sensation with the sensory system itself. She incorporates her

own imagery of a variety of specimens, including humancorneas, wild mouse taste buds, and guinea pig cochlea withphotographs of Japanese gardens meant to tickle the senses.

Justine Cooper, American Lobster (Homarus

americanus), American Museum of Natural

History, New York City, 2004, digital chromogenic

print, 26 x 20 inches

A Plan to Improve Roads & Reduce Congestion | Marketing Healthier Foods to Kids

Caring for Both Mind and Body | Wetland Restoration of Coastal Louisiana

The nation turns to the National Academies —National Academy of Sciences, National Academyof Engineering, Institute of Medicine, andNational Research Council — for independent,objective advice on issues that affect people’s livesworldwide. Additional information about the institution and its work can be found online at<national-academies.org>.

The National Academies In Focus features broadcoverage of the National Academies’ activities. We welcome your comments on the magazine; e-mail us at <[email protected]>.

In Focus (ISSN 1534-8334) is published three timesa year by the National Academies, 500 Fifth St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Subscription (threeissues): $10; Canada and foreign, $12 (U.S. curren-cy only). Subscription address: In Focus, P.O. Box665, Holmes, PA 19043. Bulk-rate U.S. postage ispaid at Washington, D.C. Back issues and backvolumes can be ordered in microform fromNational Archive Publishing Company, 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

Postmaster: Send address changes to In Focus, P.O.

Box 665, Holmes, PA 19043.

Credits:Cover: (clockwise from upper left) ©Royalty-Free/Corbis;

©Royalty-Free/Corbis; bald cypresses inLouisiana, ©David Muench/Corbis; ©DavidBuffington/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images

Page 1: (col. 1) ©Photodisc; (col. 2) ©Royalty-Free/Corbis: (from top) Participants at the first annual

conference of the African Science AcademyDevelopment Initiative, held in Nairobi, Kenya,November 2005, photo by Vanee Vines; a working group discussion during the third annualconference of the National Academies KeckFutures Initiative, held last November in Irvine,Calif., photo by Paul R. Kennedy

Page 3: Photo by Cable Risdon Photography Pages 4&5: ©PhotodiscPage 6: ©Imagezoo Media Inc.Page 7: ©ImageStatePage 8: ©Paul Schulenburg/Images.comPage 10: ©Strauss/Curtis/CorbisPage 11: Louisiana barrier island on Gulf of Mexico, photo

courtesy National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

Page 12: Marshlands in Louisiana, ©Philip Gould/CorbisPage 13: ©Stephanie CarterPage 14: ©Wire Design/Digital Vision/Getty ImagesPage 15: © Royalty-Free/CorbisPage 16: © Dynamic Graphics/JupiterimagesPage 17: Photo by Vanee VinesPage 18: Participants at the first annual conference of the

African Science Academy Development Initiative,held in Nairobi, Kenya, November 2005, photosby Vanee Vines

Pages 19&20: Participants at the third annual Futuresconference, held November 2005 in Irvine, Calif.,photos by Paul R. Kennedy

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD (TRB) REPORTS — Approximately 150 titles issued annually. Freecatalog available on request from TRB, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 (tel. 202-334-

3213), or visit TRB’s bookstore on the Internet a <national-academies.org/trb/bookstore>.

Priorities in Space Science Enabled byNuclear Power and PropulsionSpace Studies Board and Aeronauticsand Space Engineering Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 326 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10011-9; available from NAP).

Progress in Preventing ChildhoodObesity: Focus on Schools — BriefSummary, Institute of MedicineRegional SymposiumFood and Nutrition Board, Instituteof Medicine, in collaboration with theKansas Health Foundation (2006, 36pp.; ISBN 0-309-10040-2; availablefrom NAP).

Reaping the Benefits of Genomic andProteomic Research: IntellectualProperty Rights, Innovation, andPublic HealthBoard on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, and Committee onScience, Technology, and Law,Division on Policy and Global Affairs(2005, approx. 200 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10067-4; available from NAP).

Review of NASA Plans for theInternational Space StationSpace Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 80 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10085-2; available from NAP or fromthe board, tel. 202-334-3477 or e-mail <[email protected]>).

Review of the Department of DefenseResearch Program on Low-LevelExposures to Chemical Warfare AgentsCommittee on Toxicology, Board onEnvironmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, 122 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10021-6; available from NAP).

Review of the Lake Ontario-St.Lawrence River StudiesWater Science and Technology Board,

Division on Earth and Life Studies, incollaboration with the Royal Societyof Canada (2005, approx. 166 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10068-2; available fromNAP).

The Richard and Hinda RosenthalLectures 2004: Perspectives on thePrevention of Childhood Obesity inChildren and YouthInstitute of Medicine (2006, 60 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10072-0; available from NAP).

Rising Above The Gathering Storm:Energizing and Employing Americafor a Brighter Economic FutureCommittee on Science, Engineering,and Public Policy, National Academyof Sciences, National Academy ofEngineering, and Institute of Medicine(2006, approx. 504 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10039-9; available from NAP).

Scientific Examination of Art:Modern Techniques in Conservationand Analysis — Papers From aColloquiumArthur M. Sackler Colloquia,National Academy of Sciences (2005,252 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09625-1; avail-able from NAP).

Strategic Guidance for the NationalScience Foundation’s Support of theAtmospheric Sciences — An InterimReportBoard on Atmospheric Sciences andClimate, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10008-9; available from NAP).

Summary of a Workshop on UsingInformation Technology to EnhanceDisaster ManagementComputer Science andTelecommunications Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 40 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10037-2;available from NAP).

Supporting Local Health Care in aChronic Crisis: Management andFinancing Approaches in the EasternDemocratic Republic of the CongoRoundtable on the Demography ofForced Migration, Committee onPopulation, Division of Behavioraland Social Sciences and Education;and Program on Forced Migrationand Health, Mailman School ofPublic Health, Columbia University(2006, 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10038-0;available from NAP).

Systematics and the Origin of Species:On Ernst Mayr’s 100th Anniversary— Papers From a ColloquiumArthur M. Sackler Colloquia,National Academy of Sciences (2005,382 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09536-0; avail-able from NAP).

Toxicity Testing for Assessment ofEnvironmental Agents — InterimReportBoard on Environmental Studies andToxicology and Institute forLaboratory Animal Research,Division on Earth and Life Studies(2005, approx. 244 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10092-5; available from NAP).

Treating Infectious Diseases in aMicrobial World: Report of TwoWorkshops on Novel AntimicrobialTherapeuticsBoard on Life Sciences, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2006, 103pp.; ISBN 0-309-10056-9; availablefrom NAP).

Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness AnalysisBoard on Health Care Services,Institute of Medicine (2006, approx.380 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10077-1; avail-able from NAP).

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIESVolume 6 Number 1

INFOCUSinfocusmagazine.org

F E A T U R E S

HEALTH & SAFETY

4 Time for a ChangeMarketing healthier foods to kids

6 After CancerBetter long-term care for those whosurvive

BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL ISSUES

8 A Health Care DisconnectCaring for both mind and body

10 Helping Older Americans GetBetter With TimeResearch to achieve a new understandingof old age

ENVIRONMENT & RESOURCES

11 Mapping Louisiana’s FutureA long and broad view needed to guidewetland restoration

13 Setting Standards for VehicleEmissionsA look at state and federal practices

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ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

14 Pay As You GoA plan to improve roads and reduce congestion

16 Protecting Air TransportationBetter defenses against chemical and biological threats

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES INFOCUS2

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of SciencesRalph J. Cicerone, PresidentBarbara A. Schaal,Vice PresidentE.William Colglazier, Executive OfficerKenneth R. Fulton, Executive Director

National Academy of EngineeringCraig R. Barrett, ChairWm.A.Wulf, PresidentSheila E.Widnall,Vice PresidentLance Davis, Executive Officer

Institute of MedicineHarvey V. Fineberg, PresidentSusanne Stoiber, Executive Officer

National Research CouncilRalph J. Cicerone, ChairWm.A.Wulf,Vice ChairE.William Colglazier, Executive Officer

17 SpotlightOut of AfricaExperts meet to discuss development of African science academies

19 MeetingThird Futures Conference Launches aGenomic Attack on Infectious DiseasesCommunication and interdisciplinarycollaboration characterizes meeting ongenomic solutions to infectious diseases

21 Brief Takes• Landmark ‘Intelligent Design’

Decision Cites NAS

• Kavli Gift to Frontiers of Science

23 New Projects & Publications

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In Focus is prepared by the Office of Newsand Public Information.

Executive Director:William Skane

In Focus Editor:Valerie Chase

Assistant Editor: Sara Frueh

Staff Writers: Bill Kearney, Patrice Pages,Christine Stencel,Vanee Vines

Design: Francesca Moghari

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Foreign-Born Researchers Are Key to U.S. Prosperity and Security

I would like to use this space to comment on what I see as a deeplytroubling change in public attitude. Last fall I testified to the HouseJudiciary Committee’s subcommittee responsible for immigration issues.The subject was foreign-born students, especially in the physical sci-ences and engineering. I presented to the panel a few undisputed facts:

• Between 1980 and 2000, the percentage of Ph.D. scientists andengineers employed in the United States who were born abroadincreased from 24 percent to 37 percent.

• The current percentage of foreign-born Ph.D. students in engineering is close to 60 percent.• One-fourth of the engineering faculty at U.S. universities was born abroad.• Between 1990 and 2004, over one-third of the U.S. scientists who received Nobel Prizes

were foreign born.To me these facts suggest that the United States has been skimming the best and brightest

from around the world — and that much of the prosperity and security we enjoy today isthe result of having access to that incredible talent pool.

But reading between the lines of their questions, it seemed that the majority of the sub-committee members present had a completely different take — namely that every foreignstudent is a potential spy and, as one congressman explicitly said, the U.S. would be betteroff if there were no foreign students, since that would create room for all the U.S. studentswho want to be scientists and engineers.

I was stunned. What would our country be like today if this had been the prevailing atti-tude in years past? Fifty years ago many of our nation’s scientific leaders came fromEurope. They included famous names like Einstein, Fermi, and Teller — without whom wemight not have been the first to build the atomic bomb; von Braun — without whom wewould not have gone to the moon; and von Neumann — without whom we might not beleaders in computing and information technology.

Today, it isn’t just Europeans who contribute to our successes. Our leading scientific mindshave names like Praveen Chaudhari, who was born in India and now directs the BrookhavenNational Laboratory; C.N. Yang, a Nobel Prize winning physicist born in China; and EliasZerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health who was born in Algeria.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently gave a speech in which she pledged to makethe United States more “welcoming” to citizens of other nations. I sincerely hope she suc-ceeds. But I remain concerned that unwise policies regarding foreign-born students andscholars may irreparably damage our own science and engineering capacity. You can readmy complete Sept. 15, 2005, testimony by visiting <www.nae.edu>.

WM. A. WULFPresident, National Academy of Engineering


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K ids in the United States collectivelywield $200 billion in spendingmoney annually, so it’s understand-

able that food and beverage manufacturersand restaurant companies spend billions oftheir own dollars each year marketingdirectly to America’s children and youth.High-calorie foods and beverages areamong the top 10 items young consumersbuy most frequently. Moreover, kids influ-ence an estimated $500 billion of their par-ents’ purchases, as anyone who has heardthe wheedling of an 8-year-old in a super-market cereal aisle can confirm.

With the proliferation of food and bever-age products and marketing aimed at kidsin recent years, public concern has grownabout the extent to which friendly cartooncharacters, product-focused games, andother persuasive tactics are contributing tothe rise in childhood obesity. The issue hasbeen hotly debated, with some decrying thepopular SpongeBob SquarePants for pro-moting junk food, and others pointing tophysical inactivity, not eating habits, as themajor culprit behind the obesity spike.

Now, however, a committee of expertsconvened by the Institute of Medicine has

TIME FOR AChange

Marketing Healthier Foods to Kids


announced that concerns about the influenceof marketing on children’s dietary patternsand weight are backed up by scientific evi-dence. With the evidence in hand, the com-mittee said, it’s time for a major turnaroundin the types of foods and beverages marketedto kids and how they’re promoted.

After analyzing the results of more than120 studies, the committee determined thatTV advertising influences kids under age 12to ask for and consume particular productsand brands. And because the majority offoods, beverages, and meals pitched to chil-dren are high-calorie, low-nutrient offerings,these are the types of products they desire.

There is no study that definitively rulesout every other possible factor that couldcontribute to weight gain, so the commit-tee’s report stops short of saying that thereis a direct cause-and-effect relationshipbetween viewing television ads and child-hood obesity. Even so, the collective evi-dence clearly indicates that there is a strongassociation — especially for children ages 2through 11 — and it’s sufficient to justifysignificant changes. Future research alsoneeds to look beyond TV ads because mar-keting strategies now employ many otherways of reaching kids, such as Internet ads,pitches incorporated into games, and prod-uct placements in various media.

“We can’t argue anymore about whethermarketing influences children’s diets andputs their long-term health at risk; it clear-ly does,” said committee chair MichaelMcGinnis.

To spur a society-wide shift from low-nutrient, high-calorie items to healthierfare, the committee called on the food, bev-erage, and restaurant industries to redirecttheir creativity and resources to develop

offerings that are higher in nutrients andlower in fat, salt, added sugars, and calo-ries and to make them just as appealing tochildren as their current products. Already,several companies have introduced newhealthy lines of products that the commit-tee would like to see expanded.

Voluntary efforts should be encouraged,and the government should pursue policy

initiatives such as awards, tax incentives, andother inducements. But if voluntary effortsfail to achieve a substantial shift, Congressshould consider legislation to mandatechanges in food and beverage advertising onboth broadcast and cable television.

But changes cannot rest on industry’sshoulders alone. To help families betterunderstand nutrition and how to makehealthy choices, the federal governmentshould partner with the private sector toroll out a national campaign about health-ful diets that employs all the promotionaltechniques that help make products andbrands popular. — Christine Stencel

-Food Marketing to Children and Youth:Threat orOpportunity? Committee on Food Marketing and theDiets of Children and Youth, Food and Nutrition Boardand Board on Children,Youth, and Families, Institute ofMedicine (2005, approx. 500 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09713-4;available from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $54.95 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; alsoon the Internet at <books.nap.edu/catalog/11514.html>).

The committee was chaired by J. Michael McGinnis,senior scholar, Institute of Medicine.The study was fundedby the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


You might expect the day that a patient

finishes radiation or chemotherapy to be

a joyful one filled with celebratory toasts

and high-fives. But for some cancer

survivors, completion of their initial

therapy can be marked just as much

by worries about what’s next.

T he uncertainties and angst cancer survivors may experience are notunfounded. Cancer and its harsh treat-

ments can leave both physical and emotion-al scars and lead to subsequent medical andpsychosocial problems. Moreover, successesin cancer detection and treatment have notbeen matched by similar advances in carefor survivors’ physical and mental healthover the long term. A new report by theInstitute of Medicine and National ResearchCouncil, citing shortfalls in the consistencyand quality of care, calls for new tools, clin-ical guidelines, and standards to improvethe care given to America’s more than 10million cancer survivors.

Initiatives that improve the transitionfrom active cancer therapy to post-treatmentwould be welcomed by survivors like ShirleyShinohara, who lived through a bout withcolon cancer. “You never stop dealing withcancer; it’s always an ongoing process,” shesaid. “I’m reminded of it when I see mybody every day with the scars that I have,my neuropathy from my chemo that I had,

After CancerBETTER LONG-TERM CAREFOR THOSE WHO SURVIVE


and my colitis from the radiation that Ihad…. I take each day as it comes now.”

The committee that conducted the studyfound that there is wide variation in thecare cancer survivors receive due to a lackof clear evidence for what constitutes bestpractices in long-term care for thesepatients. Moreover, primarycare physicians and nursesand other health careproviders often are notvery familiar with theconsequences from can-cer that may arise later,and seldom receive train-ing in recognizing andmanaging the disease’sdelayed effects, even thoughthey are treating more and morepatients with a history of cancer as theranks of survivors increase. They also donot typically receive explicit guidance frompatients’ oncologists.

“There is currently no organized systemto link oncology care to primary care,”said committee chair Sheldon Greenfield.“Unfortunately, many critical aspects ofcancer survivors’ needs are lost somewherebetween active treatment and long-termfollow-up.”

Besides being at risk for cancer recurrenceand for developing other malignancies, sur-vivors also may face psychological distress,sexual dysfunction, infertility, impairedorgan function, cosmetic changes, and limi-tations in mobility, communication, andcognition. Some of this is because cancertreatments can have long-term effects on tis-sues and organ systems.

As a key step to alleviating these prob-lems, the committee recommended that

each survivor receive a “cancer survivor-ship plan” that summarizes informationcrucial for long-term care. Plans shouldinclude the individual’s cancer diagnosis,treatment, and potential consequences; thetiming and content of follow-up visits; tips

on maintaining a healthy lifestyleand preventing recurrent or

new cancers; legal rightsaffecting employment andinsurance; and the avail-ability of support servic-es. These plans wouldalso help survivors’ pri-mary care providers bet-

ter recognize and manageany effects of cancer and its

treatment that their patientsmay experience later in life.

Following the release of the report, theAmerican Society of Clinical Oncologistsannounced that it is undertaking a range ofactivities to advance the report’s recommen-dations, including offering a new trainingcourse in survivorship care for health careproviders. The society is also developingnew guidelines to provide health profession-als with the knowledge and expertise tomanage long-term and late effects of cancer.— Christine Stencel

-From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost inTransition. Committee on Cancer Survivorship: ImprovingCare and Quality of Life, National Cancer Policy Board,Institute of Medicine and National Research Council(2005, 536 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09595-6; available from theNational Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $69.95 plus$4.50 shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11468.html>).

The committee was chaired by Sheldon Greenfield,professor of medicine and director of the Center forHealth Policy Research, University of California, Irvine.The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute,U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and theAmerican Cancer Society.

Each year more than 33 million

Americans, many of them working

adults, use health care services for

mental and substance problems. When

appropriately treated, people can lead

satisfying, productive lives. But without

proper treatment, the consequences

can be devastating — lost jobs, low

academic achievement, antisocial

behavior, even suicide.

Successful, cost-effective treatmentsand interventions for mental prob-lems and substance use do exist, but

unfortunately delivery of these measures isspotty at best. Without a comprehensivestrategy to improve the quality of care inthese areas, high-quality care in thenation’s overall health system is a goal thatwill remain unmet, says a new Institute ofMedicine report that offers such a plan.

Building bridges is key. Modern scientificthought does not separate mind and body,but services for mental and substance-useproblems have been isolated from the restof the health system and often from eachother, despite the fact that many peoplesuffer from both types of conditions.Health professionals need to connect rele-vant areas of their own organizations aswell as form ties with other providers, thereport says. And federal and state govern-ments should revise laws and practices thathinder the ability of health professionals to


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quickly obtain and share information on apatient’s health and potential treatments —links that are essential to effective assis-tance. Likewise, the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services should estab-lish a permanent, high-level mechanism toencourage greater coordination across itsmental, substance-use, and general healthcare agencies.

An information technology systemcalled the National Health InformationInfrastructure (NHII) is now being devel-oped to make the exchange of healthinformation easier. But so far, theseefforts have not fully dealt with healthcare for mental and substance-use prob-lems, the report says. HHS and the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs shouldmake sure that this system adequatelyaddresses such conditions.

Policymakers also should pay closerattention to the work force itself. Criticalskills and knowledge are unevenly distrib-uted among a broad range of providers, thereport notes. Congress should authorizeand fund a Council on the Mental andSubstance-Use Health Care Work Force,which would aim to strengthen professionalstandards as well as training. The councilshould operate as a partnership betweenthe public and private sectors.

The principle of putting your moneywhere your mouth is would make a differ-ence, too, said the committee that wrotethe report. Government programs, employ-ers, and purchasers — companies or othergroups that pay health care providers fordelivering patient services — should spendmoney in ways that support the delivery ofhigh-quality care. When sizing up prospec-tive vendors, for example, states should

give more weight to those who stress thiskind of excellence.

HHS, the report adds, should oversee acoordinated research agenda for improvinghealth care services for mental and sub-stance problems. The agency’s effortsshould include synthesizing and disseminat-ing scientific evidence.

The report — like the IOM’s 2001 reportCrossing the Quality Chasm: A NewHealth System for the 21st Century —envisions a revamped health care systemthat is centered on the needs and prefer-ences of patients, encourages teamworkamong health care workers, and makesmuch greater use of information technolo-gy. Patient-centered care is imperative inthe delivery of mental health services andtreatments for addiction, the report says,because there is greater use of coercion intotreatment compared with general healthcare. And interventions sometimes carrysocial stigmas. — Vanee Vines

-Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mentaland Substance-Use Conditions. Committee on Crossingthe Quality Chasm:Adaptation to Mental Health andAddictive Disorders, Board on Health Care Services,Institute of Medicine (2005, approx. 600 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10044-5, available from the National AcademiesPress, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $60.00 plus $4.50 shippingfor single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11470.html>).

The committee was chaired by Mary Jane England,president, Regis College,Weston, Mass.The study wassponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation; CIGNAFoundation; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; RobertWood Johnson Foundation; and the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration, National Institute onAlcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug Abuse.


A s the Beatles sang their1967 hit, the song likelyturned a young genera-

tion’s thoughts toward thefuture and getting “old.” If thesong were written today, theold-age marker might be 74 or84, but the questions wouldreflect a similar discomfort about aging:Will older people remain healthy and men-tally sharp members of society?

The “graying” of America is well underway. By 2030 roughly 70 million people inthe United States will be 65 or older —more than double the number in 2000. Anew report from the National ResearchCouncil offers the National Institute onAging a research agenda to achieve anentirely new understanding about thehealth and well-being of this population.

The proposed agenda is centered onfour areas with far-reaching roots in psy-chology — motivation and behavioralchange, socioemotional influences on decision-making, the relationship betweensocial engagement and cognition, and theeffects of stereotypes.

Understanding individual and socialbehavior over a lifetime is key to under-standing differences in how older peoplefare, the report says. Moreover, such knowl-edge should be used when formulating pub-lic policies to support healthy lifestylesamong this group, ultimately benefitinggroup members and society as a whole.

Motivation is a critical partof getting people to developand maintain healthy livingpatterns, said the committeethat wrote the report. Moreresearch is needed on whatsparks and sustains behaviorchanges in older people.

For many seniors, personalrules of thumb — accompa-nied by gut feelings or intu-ition — may play larger roles

in decision-making than careful delibera-tion does, the report adds. But more studyis needed on the effects of such emotionalinfluences. Likewise, researchers shouldsystematically explore whether social rela-tionships and interactions affect cognitionamong older people.

Stereotypes also should be investigatedbecause they may limit the contributionsthat older people make to society, thereport says. A research agenda on agingshould incorporate studies of how gender,race, ethnicity, class, and culture shape theway that people think and act as they age.

The recommended research on agingrequires interdisciplinary approaches, thereport emphasizes. NIA should strengthenits research infrastructure to conduct stud-ies in the proposed areas and widely dis-seminate their findings. — Vanee Vines

-When I’m 64. Committee on Aging Frontiers in SocialPsychology, Personality, and Adult DevelopmentalPsychology, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2005, 280 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10064-X, availablefrom the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242;$54.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also on theInternet at <books.nap.edu/catalog/11474.html>).

The committee was chaired by Laura L. Carstensen,professor of psychology, Stanford University, Stanford,Calif.The study was sponsored by the National Institutesof Health.


HELPING OLDER AMERICANS GET BETTER WITH TIME“Will you still need me,will you still feed me,

when I’m 64?”


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A s efforts get under wayto rebuild New Orleansand mend the damage

wreaked by hurricanesKatrina and Rita on the GulfCoast, drawing a map of what coastalLouisiana will look like decades from nowshould be one of the first steps in any large-scale restoration of its vanishing marshesand barrier islands, says a new report fromthe National Research Council.

Wetlands along the state’s coast havebeen disappearing at the rate of severalsquare miles a year, mainly because muchof the Mississippi River sediment needed tosupport them has been trapped upstreamby levees and other barriers, or has beenrouted offshore by flood-control measures.Moreover, the reduction in sedimentbuildup has prevented the Mississippi deltafrom keeping pace with sea level rise andnatural subsidence.

The report was requestedin 2004 by the Louisianagovernor, who specificallyasked the Research Councilto review a study by the state

and the U.S. Corps of Engineers that pro-poses five major wetland restoration proj-ects. A Research Council committee foundmost of these projects to be scientificallysound, but given the size of the watershedin question and the continuing rapiddecline of wetlands, concluded that a muchmore strategic approach addressing the sys-tem as a whole is needed.

The current project proposals aredesigned for completion in the near term— which is all the federal Office ofManagement and Budget provided fundingfor. The committee said this near-termfocus precludes more-promising projectsthat have not yet been fully designed, andthe study itself indicates that its projects

A Long and BroadView Needed toGuide Wetland

Restoration


will only reduce wetland losses by about 20percent a year. Nevertheless, all but one ofthe near-term projects should move for-ward because they will support a broaderapproach to wetland restoration in thefuture. The exception is a proposal to builda stone retaining wall along an outlet thatprovides a shortcut for shipsbetween the Mississippi andthe Gulf of Mexico.Despite a price tag ofmore than $100 mil-lion, it will only cutland loss by 0.2square miles a year.In addition, theCorps is studyingwhether to evencontinue maintainingthe outlet as a channelfor large vessels.

Another idea under dis-cussion is diverting some of theMississippi’s flow to create a so-calledThird Delta that will allow the river toreach the Gulf southwest of New Orleans,renourishing wetlands there with badlyneeded sediment. The committee said con-sideration should be given to an alternativeor companion to the Third Delta thatwould deliver even greater amounts of sedi-ment but travel through less-developedareas, perhaps making it more feasible.

Projects such as this, where homes andbusinesses may need to be relocated, willobviously require significant publicinvolvement. Explicit maps depicting whatthe Louisiana coastline will look like withor without various wetland restorationprojects should be circulated among allinterested parties.

“It’s unlikely that the entire coast can berestored, so decisions need to be madeabout where restoration is most needed,”said committee member Jeffrey Benoit, for-mer director of the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration’s Office ofOcean and Coastal Management, and now

a consultant in Arlington, Va. Oncea map has been agreed upon,

integrated projects can bedesigned to achieve it.

As the economicimpact of Katrinaand Rita becomesclearer, it will bepossible to betterjudge the potentialnational economic

benefits ofLouisiana’s coastal

restoration, the commit-tee noted. And although it’s

too early to say what role, ifany, the missing wetlands played in ampli-fying the effects of the hurricanes, enoughis known about the ability of wetlands tolessen the impact of coastal storms andhurricanes that their restoration should bepart of national efforts to reduce hurricanehazards. — Bill Kearney

-Drawing Louisiana’s New Map:Addressing Land Lossin Coastal Louisiana. Committee on the Restoration andProtection of Coastal Louisiana, Ocean Studies Board,Division on Earth and Life Studies (2006, 204 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10054-2; available from the NationalAcademies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $39.00 plus $4.50shipping for single copies; also on the Internet at<books.nap.edu/catalog/11476.html>).

The committee was chaired by Robert G. Dean,professor of civil and coastal engineering, University ofFlorida, Gainesville.The study was funded by the state ofLouisiana and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers.


California has become synony-mous with strict environmen-tal standards, some of which

can be traced to a 1952 discovery by ascientist at the California Institute ofTechnology who found that nitrogen oxidesand hydrocarbons emitted by vehicle enginesand fuels interact in the presence of ultravio-let radiation to form ozone, a key compo-nent of smog. That finding, along with stud-ies showing how unhealthy smog could befor humans, sparked the movement to regu-late vehicle emissions. By the early 1960s,California had established the nation’s firststandards to control such emissions.

In 1967, Congress recognized Califor-nia’s leadership in regulating emissions —and the fact that it had 10 million vehiclesand some of the worst pollution in thecountry — by exempting the state from asection of the newly passed Clean Air Actwhich dictated that federal emissions stan-dards pre-empt state standards. Californiacould set its own standards for vehicles aslong as they were as protective in theaggregate as federal standards. A decadelater Congress went a step further when itallowed other states to adopt Californiastandards in lieu of federal regulations.

A new report from the National ResearchCouncil says that over the years Californiahas enacted more aggressive emissions stan-dards, just as Congress intended, which alsohad the added benefit of driving innovationsin emission-control technology. And it didso by following standard-setting practicesand procedures similar to EPA’s. The reportwarns, however, that the ability forCalifornia to set tighter standards — andfor other states to follow its lead — is stillneeded. Even now, California has some of

the worst air quality conditions in the coun-try, and along with other states, needstougher vehicle emissions rules in order tomeet EPA’s overall air quality standards.

The report says that EPA could help bystreamlining the process for granting awaiver, which must be obtained byCalifornia each time it sets a new emissionstandard. Currently, EPA only grantswaivers to California, but the report saysthat the agency also should play a role inother states’ adoption of California stan-dards. The committee that wrote the reportcould not agree on whether EPA’s participa-tion should include a waiver process forother states, but it did say that the agency’sopinion could help prevent or settle legaldisputes that arise when automakers claimdifficulty complying with California stan-dards when they are adopted elsewhere. Forexample, cars made to meet California’semission standards may not achieve a simi-lar standard or operate efficiently in anoth-er state because of colder weather or differ-ent fuel composition. — Bill Kearney

-State and Federal Standards for Mobile SourceEmissions. Committee on State Practices in SettingMobile Source Emissions Standards, Board onEnvironmental Studies and Toxicology, Division on Earthand Life Studies (2006, approx. 310 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10151-4;available from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $30.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; alsoon the Internet at <books.nap.edu/catalog/11586.html>).

The committee was chaired by David Allen, MelvinGertz Regents Professor in Chemical Engineering, anddirector, Center for Energy and Environmental Resources,University of Texas,Austin.The study was funded by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Setting Standards for Vehicle Emissions


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A new report from the TransportationResearch Board endorses a pro-posed plan that could not only

improve traffic conditions but the qualityof roads as well. Instead of paying fueltaxes at the gas pump, which subsidizes thelion’s share of highway operations, travel-ers could pay for the miles they drive. Thecommittee that wrote the report said thatsuch fees would prompt some drivers totake cheaper alternate routes, travel in off-peak hours, or switch to transit, while oth-ers would be willing to pay rush-hour feesto travel on less-congested roads.

“Congestion in our nation’s urban areasis only getting worse over time,” saidRudolph Penner, committee chair and sen-ior fellow, Urban Institute, Washington,

A Plan to ImproveRoads and Reduce

Congestion

Tired of sitting in traffic on the

daily commute to work, driving

around the same potholes every

day, or navigating road work that

never seems to end? Maybe

there’s a solution in sight.

PAY AS YOU GO


D.C. “If drivers paid for theroads they use, not only wouldtraffic conditions improve, butthe public agencies collecting themoney would increase theirefforts to improve the roads.”

Although the current fundingsystem has been effective formaintaining existing highwaysand building new ones, it can-not help improve traffic flow,the report says. Also, the systemdoesn’t compel agencies tocheck that individual transportation proj-ects are financially justifiable and con-ducted efficiently. The new funding planwould zero in on projects with the great-est benefits to the general public andcould increase the cost-effectiveness ofhighway spending in general.

The new plan could partially or com-pletely eliminate fuel taxes — which repre-sent nearly 20 percent of what drivers payfor gas — and would require drivers to paya toll for the highways they use. The tollwould be used to cover the cost of highwaymaintenance and traffic services such aspolice, but the greatest benefit would bethe alleviation of congestion, particularly inurban areas during peak hours, when eachdriver slows down traffic upon entering acongested road. It is not clear how muchdrivers would need to pay for tolls orwhether the amount paid would fullyreplace fuel taxes. But the total amountcollected might be less than what they paytoday in fuel taxes and other user feesbecause roads would be used more effi-ciently, Penner said.

For the plan to be adopted, publicacceptance will be critical. Highway

agencies will need to demon-strate that the plan is worthimplementing and be receptiveto suggestions from the public,the committee said. Once tech-nically proven and publiclyacceptable designs are available,the federal government shouldsupport large-scale trials.

For the coming decade, trans-portation agencies shouldexpand use of conventionaltolling on existing and new

expressways, and establish tolls that varyover time to manage demand and preventtraffic jams, the report says. In the longerterm, variable toll lanes could be extendedto entire highways. Then, after a few moreyears, all roads could be charged, withlower fees for non-highway driving. Thecommittee noted that commuting by carduring rush hour would become moreexpensive and bus travel would be fasterand more reliable, so more people mightdecide to use transit services. — Patrice Pages

-The Fuel Tax and Alternatives for TransportationFunding — Special Report 285. Committee on theLong-Term Viability of Fuel Taxes for TransportationFinance,Transportation Research Board (2006, approx.222 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09419-4; available from the board, tel.202-334-3213; $30.00 for single copies; also on theInternet at <www.trb.org/bookstore>).

Rudolph Penner, senior fellow at the UrbanInstitute,Washington, D.C., chaired the committee.Thestudy was funded by the National Cooperative HighwayResearch Program, U.S. Department of Transportation’sFederal Highway Administration, and the TransportationResearch Board.


T he U.S. airtransportationsystem is an

attractive target forattacks with chemical

or biological agents. Notonly do the large luggage-

toting crowds at airportsmake terrorists hard to spot, the

dispersal of passengers to destina-tions around the world makes it much easi-er to spread infectious diseases or danger-ous toxins widely.

A new report from the NationalResearch Council recommends that respon-sibility for guarding against such an attackbe assigned to the Transportation SecurityAdministration. Defending against a chemi-cal or biological attack means understand-ing the spaces likely to be targeted — inthis case, terminals, boarding areas, andaircraft — and in particular knowing howthe air-handling systems in those spacesoperate. TSA is the agency with the mostknowledge about the unique physical char-acteristics of airports, concluded the com-mittee that wrote the report.

TSA should collaborate with other enti-ties in the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity to form a high-level task force todevelop a specific defensive strategy, thecommittee recommended. The task forcealso should keep up-to-date “threat assess-ments” that outline scenarios of how ter-rorists might release agents in airports andplanes, or directly into their air-handlingsystems. The task force should use chemicaland biological simulants to explore howparticles disperse, and it should take advan-tage of research that models airflow withinaircrafts and terminals.

Some of the research and development ofchemical and biological sensors is promis-ing, but their performance is hard to evalu-ate, the committee said, and none of thetechnologies is ready to be deployed in anairport or plane. Regardless, relying solelyon sensors to detect an attack would be amistake. A vast number of dangerouschemicals and pathogens must be moni-tored for, and an attack with fast-actingagents would begin producing symptoms invictims in about the same amount of time itwould take for a sensor to sound an alarm.In this case, video monitoring, especiallycoupled with behavioral-pattern-recogni-tion software, would be the fastest way torealize an attack had occurred.

Besides improved video surveillance, thecommittee recommended that TSA focus onprotective measures such as reducing air-flow between different airport areas andlimiting access to air intake vents. Theagency should also promote the develop-ment and deployment of “active purifica-tion units” that could reduce or eliminateinfectious biological agents and some fast-acting chemicals in systems delivering air toterminals and aircraft. Establishing a sepa-rate air supply for critical areas such ascontrol towers should be considered aswell. — Bill Kearney

-Defending the U.S.Air Transportation SystemAgainst Chemical and Biological Threats. Committee onAssessment of Security Technologies for Transportation,National Materials Advisory Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences, and the TransportationResearch Board (2006, 46 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10074-7; avail-able from the National Academies Press, tel. 1-800-624-6242; $12.00 plus $4.50 shipping for single copies; also onthe Internet at <books.nap.edu/catalog/11556.html>).

The committee is chaired by James F. O’Bryon,retired deputy assistant secretary of defense, Belair, Md.The study was funded by the Transportation SecurityAdministration.

Protecting Air Transportation

BetterDefenses

AgainstChemical

andBiological

Threats


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Scholars must be more-active membersof society, work harder to engagegovernment officials, and help meet

the need for scientific and technical expert-ise in policy arenas, concluded roughly 160leading researchers and government repre-sentatives who attended the ASADI confer-ence in Nairobi, Kenya, last November.S&T knowledge in many African countriesis disconnected from decision-making —reducing the research community’s opportu-nities to contribute to policy improvementsthat would benefit the public at large andboost the continent’s standing in the globalmarketplace. Stronger science academiescan contribute positively toward measuresthat will save lives or improve living condi-tions by settling key scientific questions ontopics such as malaria prevention or agri-cultural production.

“I think we must stop talking…we talktoo much,” said conference presenter LeeYee-Cheong, coordinator of the U.N.Millennium Project Task Force on Science,Technology, and Innovation. “Merelyoffering advice is not enough. …I appeal toyou: Get your hands dirty.”

Said presenter Miriam Were, chair of theAfrican Medical and Research Foundationand of the National AIDS Control Council,both of Kenya: “The bottom line is howyou improve the lives of the people.”

Supported by a $20 million grant fromthe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and

Out of Africa

Experts Meet to Discuss Development of

African Science Academies

“It takes a village to raise a child” is

an African proverb that stresses the

importance of strong communities

and the power of working together.

Likewise, participants at the first annual

conference of the African Science

Academy Development Initiative (ASADI)

emphasized that the full heft of the

continent’s scientific enterprise is needed

to help decision-makers cultivate sound

public policies and programs.


administered by the U.S. NationalAcademies, ASADI will be carried out overthe next decade and focus on efforts toimprove human health in Africa. The sci-ence academies of Nigeria, Uganda, andSouth Africa are the initial focal points,receiving financial support as well as tech-

nical assistance and training. Discussions atthe conference centered on finding ways toharness Africa’s S&T enterprise to helpleaders fulfill their commitments to theUnited Nations’ Millennium DevelopmentGoals in areas such as disease preventionand the eradication of extreme poverty andhunger. Participants also talked about thechallenges of creating science-advisorymodels that would be workable and cost-effective over time.

All academy representatives seem to agreethat the challenge will not be an easy one,stating that many government leaders acrossAfrica question the value of homegrown sci-entific advice, provide only marginal fundingand other support, or are unsure of how tobest tap their countries’ scientific expertise.At the same time, academies must shed theiroften elitist attitudes and seek ways toactively serve government and society in astructured, consistent manner, speakers said.Greater diversity is needed within the ranks,

too. Memberships are “too old, too male,and too familiar with each other,” saidMohamed Hassan, executive director of theThird World Academy of Sciences. Andacademies should improve how they com-municate scientific information, making itmore accessible and useful for politicians

and the public. Africa’s pipeline of scientists,engineers, and health care professionals haslong operated below capacity because ofinadequate education systems and the flightof talented scholars to the West.

There are success stories, however.Uganda’s academy has worked closely witha government commission on HIV/AIDS,for example.

Using science to tackle basic problemsthat Africans routinely face must always bethe primary goal, other presenters said.Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, Uganda’s for-mer vice president and minister of agricul-ture, said that researchers often “work likeartists who are very independent-minded,who want to do [their] own thing. …Thismust stop.”

More information about the conferenceand initiative is available online at <national-academies.org/nairobi>.Cameroon’s academy will host the 2006conference in Yaoundé. — Vanee Vines


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One question on everyone’s mindeach winter is the how to avoidgetting the flu. Influenza and its

fellow infectious diseases — which rangefrom moderately troublesome bugs such asthe common cold to lethal assassins likeHIV — are collectively the most potentsource of illness and mortality across theworld. Just as understanding the criminal

mind may be the most effective way todeter human villains, a similarly penetrat-ing approach could be applied againstthese microbial bad guys.

This broad imperative provided theimpetus to bring together 150 researchers,policymakers, foundation representatives,and science journalists last November at afour-day conference to discuss solutions tothe growing problem of infectious diseases

using the field of genomics. The thirdannual conference of the NationalAcademies Keck Futures Initiative, “TheGenomic Revolution: Implications forTreatment and Control of InfectiousDisease,” invited its participants to developcreative ways to attack dangerous microbesthrough understanding their fundamentalgenomic compositions.

The trademark of the Futures Initiativeis interdisciplinary research. “Discoverycomes at the interstices of disciplines,” saidNAE President Wm. A. Wulf. With that, heintroduced a series of tutorial sessionsintended to explain the state-of-the-scienceof various specialties, so that researcherscould communicate clearly with one anoth-er across disciplines. In one tutorial, GaryNabel, director of the Vaccine ResearchCenter at the National Institute of Allergyand Infectious Diseases, discussedgenomics, structural biology, and rationalvaccine design. Using genomics, he asked,“How can we create new paradigms to cre-ate highly effective vaccines?” He stressedthat the key would be gaining a betterunderstanding of gene function and evolu-tion. In another session, StanfordUniversity professor David Relmandeclared, “We are 10 parts microbial andone part human,” to emphasize the dynamicinterplay between humans and microbes,before taking conference participants on atour of disease epidemiology.

Interspersed with other technical tutorialson topics such as human genetic variationand bioinformatics were talks about thesocietal impact of infectious disease. AustinDemby, a senior staff fellow at the GlobalAIDS Program of the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, discussed the needs

Third FuturesConference Launchesa GENOMIC ATTACKon Infectious DiseasesBY KIRYN HASLINGER


of developing countries and the uniquedelivery and implementation issues that faceparts of the world most affected by infec-tious diseases, such as sub-Saharan Africa.

The tutorials served as a stepping-off pointfor the participants to address concrete prob-

lems in small work-ing groups.Throughout eighthours of discussion,researchers brain-stormed aboutpotential plans fordesigning technolo-gies to improve rapidresponse to disease,developing an inex-pensive diagnostictest for pathogens,preventing the nextpandemic flu, creat-ing a device to detectand identifypathogens, andsequencing an indi-vidual’s genome forunder $1,000. Othergroups focused onsuch vital topics asdetermining the roleof public health in

integrating genomics into disease control anddevising new therapies by harnessing naturalgenetic variation in disease resistance.

These working groups provided a fertileenvironment for communication among sci-entists, engineers, and medical researcherswho discovered a valuable opportunity forinterdisciplinary collaboration. The FuturesInitiative aims to spark such relationshipsand offers a rewarding incentive for

researchers to do so: up to $75,000 to fundinnovative research and continue collabora-tive dialogues that emerged from the con-ference. The initiative supplies $1 millionannually for such seed grants, awardedcompetitively to conference participants.

Another major goal of the initiative is toencourage communication of scientific dis-coveries and ideas to the public. At the con-ference, a 2005 National AcademiesCommunication Award was given to JohnBarry for his book The Great Influenza: TheEpic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History.Another was given to Gareth Cook for hiscoverage of the national debate on stem cellsin The Boston Globe, and a third award wasbestowed to Thomas Levenson for his televi-sion series on the evolution of life in the cos-mos, WGBH NOVA’s “Origins: Back to theBeginning.” The $20,000 awards recognizeexcellence in reporting and communicatingscience, engineering, and medicine to the gen-eral public, and the winners were selectedfrom more than 200 entries.

In a tutorial on conducting team science,Mary E. Lindstrom, vice provost of researchat the University of Washington, warned, “Ifyou’re going to take risks, you cannot expect100 percent success.” The Futures Initiativehas made valuable investments in scientificrisk-taking since it was launched in 2003,lauding and supporting bold efforts in bothscientific research and communication.

Kiryn Haslinger, a science writer based in New York City,holds a master’s degree in theoretical chemistry. She is the chief correspondent for computational biology andbioinformatics at the New York Academy of Sciences andpreviously an editorial assistant to James D.Watson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

For more information on the Futures Initiative and this conference, visit <www.keckfutures.org>.

Landmark ‘IntelligentDesign’ Decision Cites NAS

When U.S. District Judge John E. Jones IIIstruck down a Pennsylvania schoolboard’s requirement to teach “intelligentdesign” as an alternative to evolution inlocal high school biology classes, he cited

the NationalAcademy ofSciences as anorganization rec-ognized by expertson both sides ofthe trial as the“most prestigious”scientific organiza-tion in the coun-try. In fact, in hislengthy December2005 opinion

Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District,Jones chose the following excerpt fromthe Academy’s 1998 publication TeachingAbout Evolution and the Nature ofScience as his definition of “science”:

“Science is a particular way of knowingabout the world. In science, explanationsare restricted to those that can beinferred from the confirmable data — theresults obtained through observations andexperiments that can be substantiated byother scientists.Anything that can beobserved or measured is amenable to sci-entific investigation. Explanations that can-not be based upon empirical evidence arenot part of science.”

Jones ruled that teaching intelligentdesign violates the U.S. Constitutionbecause it illegally promotes religion in

public schools. Intelligent design, hefound, was another form of biblical “creationism,” the teaching of which wasbanned in public schools by the U.S.Supreme Court in 1987. In dismissingclaims that intelligent design is a scienceand that there is some “irreducible com-plexity” in molecular systems, he alsorelied on and quoted NAS findings in his opinion.

Teaching About Evolution and theNature of Science; Science andCreationism: A View from the NationalAcademy of Sciences, 2nd ed.; and otherNAS reports and statements on scienceeducation and evolution are available freeas downloadable PDF files on theNational Academies’ evolution Web page,<national-academies.org/evolution>. — William Skane


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Kavli Gift to Frontiers of Science

The Kavli Foundation has made a $5 mil-lion gift to support the National Academyof Sciences’ Frontiers of Science symposiafor the next 10 years. Since 1989, thesesymposia, which focus on the developmentof promising young scientists, have beenheld annually to bring promisingresearchers out of their labs and give themthe opportunity to learn about the latestresearch outside their own fields, as well asto network and collaborate with theirpeers. In recent years, the Academy hasexpanded the symposia internationally,organizing bilateral meetings that includeyoung researchers from China, Germany,India, and Japan.

Frontiers of Science symposia giveapproximately 80 young scientists —most of them under the age of 45 — achance to learn about advances andopportunities in other fields through aseries of seminars on cutting-edge areas ofscience, followed by intensive group andone-on-one discussions. Attendees areselected from researchers who havealready made recognized contributions toscience, including recipients of Sloan,Packard, and MacArthur fellowships,winners of the Waterman award,Beckman Young Investigators, and

Presidential Early Career Award forScientists and Engineers.

“Fred Kavli and the Kavli Foundationstand out as innovators in finding impor-tant new ways to stimulate science in the21st century,” said NAS President Ralph J.Cicerone. “We thank them for their gen-erosity and foresight in supporting thegrowth of some of our nation’s most giftedyoung scientists.”

Established in 2000, the California-basedKavli Foundation supports basic research innanoscience, astrophysics, and neuro-science, primarily through an internationalprogram of research institutes and the sup-port of endowed chairs. In 2008 it willinaugurate the Kavli Prizes, three $1 mil-lion awards to recognize scientists whohave made seminal advances in these fields.

“This alliance between the NAS and theKavli Foundation is a perfect fit on manylevels,” said Fred Kavli, the founder andchairman of the foundation. “We arepleased and excited to help bring togetheroutstanding young scientists from differentfields and from all over the world toexchange ideas, learn from each other, andestablish mutual bonds. We are delighted toform a partnership with the Academy inthis activity.”

For more information on the KavliFrontiers of Science of the National Academyof Sciences, visit <www.nasonline.org/fos>.— William Skane


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ProjectsThe following projects have beenrecently undertaken by units of theNational Academies. The latestinformation about all current com-mittee activities — including projectdescriptions, committee rosters, andmeeting information — is availablein “Current Projects” on theNational Academies’ Web site.

Countering Radiological Terrorism. Nuclear and Radiation StudiesBoard, Division on Earth and LifeStudies; and Development, Security,and Cooperation, Division on Policyand Global Affairs. Project director:Micah Lowenthal. Chair: John F.Ahearne, director of the ethics pro-gram, Sigma Xi, The ScientificResearch Society, and lecturer, DukeUniversity, Durham, N.C. Sponsor:National Nuclear SecurityAdministration’s Office of GlobalRadiological Threat Reduction.

Learning Science in InformalEnvironments: A Review of Researchand Future Directions. Board on Science Education, Divisionof Behavioral and Social Sciences andEducation. Project director: JeanMoon. Chair: To be selected. Sponsor:National Science Foundation.

Meeting Work-Force Needs for theNational Vision for Space Exploration.Space Studies Board and Aeronauticsand Space Engineering Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences.Project director: Joseph Alexander.Co-chairs: David C. Black, presidentand chief executive officer, UniversitiesSpace Research Association, Houston;and Daniel E. Hastings, professor ofaeronautics and astronautics and ofengineering systems, and dean forundergraduate education,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge. Sponsor: NASA.

New Orleans Regional HurricaneProtection Projects. National Academy of Engineering,Division on Engineering and PhysicalSciences, and Division on Earth and

Life Studies. Project director: JeffreyJacobs. Chair: G. Wayne Clough,president, Georgia Institute ofTechnology, Atlanta. Sponsor: U.S.Department of the Army.

Review of the Scientific Literature onAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis inVeterans. Board on Population Health andPublic Health Practice, Institute ofMedicine. Project director: AbigailMitchell. Chair: Richard T. Johnson,professor of microbiology and ofneurology, Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool of Medicine, Baltimore.Sponsor: U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs.

PublicationsFor documents shown as availablefrom the National Academies Press(NAP), write to 500 Fifth St., N.W.,Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C.20055; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242; or order on the Internetat <www.nap.edu>. Documents froma specific unit of the NationalAcademies are available from thesource as noted.

Advanced Research Instrumentationand FacilitiesCommittee on Science, Engineering,and Public Policy, National Academyof Sciences, National Academy ofEngineering, and Institute of Medicine(2005, approx. 240 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09701-0; available from NAP).

Application of Toxicogenomics toCross-Species Extrapolation — AReport of a WorkshopCommittee on Emerging Issues andData on EnvironmentalContaminants, Board onEnvironmental Studies andToxicology and Board on LifeSciences, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, approx. 60 pp.; ISBN0-309-10084-4; available from NAP).

Assessing and Managing theEcological Impacts of Paved RoadsBoard on Environmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth and

Life Studies; and TransportationResearch Board (2005, 324 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10088-7; available from NAP).

Assessing Fitness for MilitaryEnlistment: Physical, Medical, andMental Health StandardsBoard on Behavioral, Cognitive, andSensory Sciences, Division of Behavioraland Social Sciences and Education(2006, approx. 302 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10079-8; available from NAP).

An Assessment of the NationalInstitute of Standards and TechnologyMeasurement and StandardsLaboratories: Fiscal Years 2004-2005Board on Assessment of NISTPrograms, Division on Engineeringand Physical Sciences (2005, 134pp.; ISBN 0-309-10036-4; availablefrom NAP).

Basic Research in Information Scienceand Technology for Air Force NeedsBoard on Mathematical Sciences andTheir Applications, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2006, 116 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10031-3; available from NAP).

Bioastronautics Roadmap: A RiskReduction Strategy for HumanExploration of SpaceBoard on Health Sciences Policy,Institute of Medicine; and SpaceStudies Board and Aeronautics andSpace Engineering Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2006, approx. 142 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09948-X; available from NAP).

Catalyzing Inquiry at the Interface ofComputing and BiologyComputer Science andTelecommunications Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 468 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09612-X; available from NAP).

The Changing Transitions toAdulthood in Developing Countries:Selected StudiesCommittee on Population, Divisionof Behavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2005, 506 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09680-4; available from NAP).


Child Health in ComplexEmergenciesRoundtable on the Demography ofForced Migration, Committee onPopulation, Division of Behavioraland Social Sciences and Education;and Program on Forced Migrationand Health, Mailman School ofPublic Health, Columbia University(2006, 84 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10063-1;available from NAP).

Controlling the Quantum World ofAtoms, Molecules, and Photons —An Interim ReportBoard on Physics and Astronomy,Division on Engineering andPhysical Sciences (2005, 12 pp.;ISBN 0-309-65565-X; available onlyonline from NAP).

Deconstructing the Computer —Report of a SymposiumBoard on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, Division on Policy andGlobal Affairs (2005, 182 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09254-X; available from NAP).

Expanding Access to Research Data:Reconciling Risks and OpportunitiesCommittee on National Statistics,Division of Behavioral and SocialSciences and Education (2005, 132pp.; ISBN 0-309-10012-7; availablefrom NAP).

Extending the Effective Lifetimes ofEarth Observing Research MissionsSpace Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 36 pp.; ISBN 0-309-65556-0;available online from NAP or fromthe board, tel. 202-334-3477 or e-mail <[email protected]>).

Food Safety and Foodborne DiseaseSurveillance Systems — Proceedingsof an Iranian-American WorkshopOffice for Central Europe and Eurasia,Division on Policy and Global Affairs;in cooperation with the ResearchCenter for Gastroenterology and LiverDiseases, Shaheed Beheshti Universityof Medical Sciences, Iran; WorldHealth Organization; and Food andAgriculture Organization (2006,approx. 206 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10033-X; available from NAP).

FORCEnet Implementation StrategyNaval Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 260 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10025-9;available from NAP).

Improving the Social Security DisabilityDecision Process — Interim ReportMedical Follow-Up Agency, Instituteof Medicine (2006, 100 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10094-1; available from NAP).

Informing the Future: Critical Issuesin Health, Third Ed.Institute of Medicine (2005, 128 pp.;ISBN 0-309-65364-9; available onlyonline from NAP).

Interim Design Assessment for theBlue Grass Chemical AgentDestruction Pilot PlantBoard on Army Science and Technology,Division on Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2005, 94 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09698-7; available from NAP).

Lessons Learned Between Hurricanes:From Hugo to Charley, Frances, Ivan,and Jeanne — Summary of the March8, 2005, Workshop of the DisastersRoundtableDisasters Roundtable, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2005, 28 pp.;ISBN 0-309-65667-2; available onlyonline from NAP).

Linkages: Manufacturing Trends inElectronic Interconnection TechnologyBoard on Manufacturing andEngineering Design, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 94 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10034-8;available from NAP).

Linking Mandatory ProfessionalDevelopment with High-QualityTeaching and Learning —Proceedings and TranscriptsNational Academies TeacherAdvisory Council, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2006; ISBN 0-309-09725-8; CD-ROM available from NAP).

Managing Construction andInfrastructure in the 21st CenturyBureau of ReclamationBoard on Infrastructure and the

Constructed Environment, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2006, 154 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10035-6;available from NAP).

Mineral Tolerance of Animals,Second Revised Ed., 2005 Board on Agriculture and NaturalResources, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, 510 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09654-5; available from NAP).

Network ScienceBoard on Army Science and Technology,Division on Engineering and PhysicalSciences (2005, 124 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10026-7; available from NAP).

Noise and Military Service:Implications for Hearing Loss andTinnitusMedical Follow-Up Agency, Instituteof Medicine (2006, 338 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09949-8; available from NAP).

Performance Measurement:Accelerating ImprovementBoard on Health Care Services,Institute of Medicine (2006, approx.390 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10007-0; avail-able from NAP).

Polar Icebreaker Roles and U.S. FutureNeeds: A Preliminary AssessmentPolar Research Board, Division onEarth and Life Studies; and MarineBoard, Transportation ResearchBoard (2005, 52 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10069-0; available from NAP).

Population, Land Use, andEnvironment: Research DirectionsCommittee on the HumanDimensions of Global Change, Centerfor Economics, Governance, andInternational Studies, Division ofBehavioral and Social Sciences andEducation (2005, 344 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09655-3; available from NAP).

Principal-Investigator-Led Missions inthe Space SciencesSpace Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 90 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10070-4; available from NAP or fromthe board, tel. 202-334-3477 or e-mail <[email protected]>).

The nation turns to the National Academies —National Academy of Sciences, National Academyof Engineering, Institute of Medicine, andNational Research Council — for independent,objective advice on issues that affect people’s livesworldwide. Additional information about the institution and its work can be found online at<national-academies.org>.

The National Academies In Focus features broadcoverage of the National Academies’ activities. We welcome your comments on the magazine; e-mail us at <[email protected]>.

In Focus (ISSN 1534-8334) is published three timesa year by the National Academies, 500 Fifth St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Subscription (threeissues): $10; Canada and foreign, $12 (U.S. curren-cy only). Subscription address: In Focus, P.O. Box665, Holmes, PA 19043. Bulk-rate U.S. postage ispaid at Washington, D.C. Back issues and backvolumes can be ordered in microform fromNational Archive Publishing Company, 300 NorthZeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

Postmaster: Send address changes to In Focus, P.O.

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Credits:Cover: (clockwise from upper left) ©Royalty-Free/Corbis;

©Royalty-Free/Corbis; bald cypresses inLouisiana, ©David Muench/Corbis; ©DavidBuffington/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images

Page 1: (col. 1) ©Photodisc; (col. 2) ©Royalty-Free/CorbisPage 2: (from top) Participants at the first annual

conference of the African Science AcademyDevelopment Initiative, held in Nairobi, Kenya,November 2005, photo by Vanee Vines; a working group discussion during the third annualconference of the National Academies KeckFutures Initiative, held last November in Irvine,Calif., photo by Paul R. Kennedy

Page 3: Photo by Cable Risdon Photography Pages 4&5: ©PhotodiscPage 6: ©Imagezoo Media Inc.Page 7: ©ImageStatePage 8: ©Paul Schulenburg/Images.comPage 10: ©Strauss/Curtis/CorbisPage 11: Louisiana barrier island on Gulf of Mexico, photo

courtesy National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

Page 12: Marshlands in Louisiana, ©Philip Gould/CorbisPage 13: ©Stephanie CarterPage 14: ©Wire Design/Digital Vision/Getty ImagesPage 15: © Royalty-Free/CorbisPage 16: © Dynamic Graphics/JupiterimagesPage 17: Photo by Vanee VinesPage 18: Participants at the first annual conference of the

African Science Academy Development Initiative,held in Nairobi, Kenya, November 2005, photosby Vanee Vines

Pages 19&20: Participants at the third annual Futuresconference, held November 2005 in Irvine, Calif.,photos by Paul R. Kennedy

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD (TRB) REPORTS — Approximately 150 titles issued annually. Freecatalog available on request from TRB, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 (tel. 202-334-

3213), or visit TRB’s bookstore on the Internet a <national-academies.org/trb/bookstore>.

Priorities in Space Science Enabled byNuclear Power and PropulsionSpace Studies Board and Aeronauticsand Space Engineering Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 326 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10011-9; available from NAP).

Progress in Preventing ChildhoodObesity: Focus on Schools — BriefSummary, Institute of MedicineRegional SymposiumFood and Nutrition Board, Instituteof Medicine, in collaboration with theKansas Health Foundation (2006, 36pp.; ISBN 0-309-10040-2; availablefrom NAP).

Reaping the Benefits of Genomic andProteomic Research: IntellectualProperty Rights, Innovation, andPublic HealthBoard on Science, Technology, andEconomic Policy, and Committee onScience, Technology, and Law,Division on Policy and Global Affairs(2005, approx. 200 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10067-4; available from NAP).

Review of NASA Plans for theInternational Space StationSpace Studies Board, Division onEngineering and Physical Sciences(2005, approx. 80 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10085-2; available from NAP or fromthe board, tel. 202-334-3477 or e-mail <[email protected]>).

Review of the Department of DefenseResearch Program on Low-LevelExposures to Chemical Warfare AgentsCommittee on Toxicology, Board onEnvironmental Studies andToxicology, Division on Earth andLife Studies (2005, 122 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10021-6; available from NAP).

Review of the Lake Ontario-St.Lawrence River StudiesWater Science and Technology Board,

Division on Earth and Life Studies, incollaboration with the Royal Societyof Canada (2005, approx. 166 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10068-2; available fromNAP).

The Richard and Hinda RosenthalLectures 2004: Perspectives on thePrevention of Childhood Obesity inChildren and YouthInstitute of Medicine (2006, 60 pp.;ISBN 0-309-10072-0; available from NAP).

Rising Above The Gathering Storm:Energizing and Employing Americafor a Brighter Economic FutureCommittee on Science, Engineering,and Public Policy, National Academyof Sciences, National Academy ofEngineering, and Institute of Medicine(2006, approx. 504 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10039-9; available from NAP).

Scientific Examination of Art:Modern Techniques in Conservationand Analysis — Papers From aColloquiumArthur M. Sackler Colloquia,National Academy of Sciences (2005,252 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09625-1; avail-able from NAP).

Strategic Guidance for the NationalScience Foundation’s Support of theAtmospheric Sciences — An InterimReportBoard on Atmospheric Sciences andClimate, Division on Earth and LifeStudies (2005, 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10008-9; available from NAP).

Summary of a Workshop on UsingInformation Technology to EnhanceDisaster ManagementComputer Science andTelecommunications Board, Divisionon Engineering and Physical Sciences(2005, 40 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10037-2;available from NAP).

Supporting Local Health Care in aChronic Crisis: Management andFinancing Approaches in the EasternDemocratic Republic of the CongoRoundtable on the Demography ofForced Migration, Committee onPopulation, Division of Behavioraland Social Sciences and Education;and Program on Forced Migrationand Health, Mailman School ofPublic Health, Columbia University(2006, 104 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10038-0;available from NAP).

Systematics and the Origin of Species:On Ernst Mayr’s 100th Anniversary— Papers From a ColloquiumArthur M. Sackler Colloquia,National Academy of Sciences (2005,382 pp.; ISBN 0-309-09536-0; avail-able from NAP).

Toxicity Testing for Assessment ofEnvironmental Agents — InterimReportBoard on Environmental Studies andToxicology and Institute forLaboratory Animal Research,Division on Earth and Life Studies(2005, approx. 244 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10092-5; available from NAP).

Treating Infectious Diseases in aMicrobial World: Report of TwoWorkshops on Novel AntimicrobialTherapeuticsBoard on Life Sciences, Division onEarth and Life Studies (2006, 103pp.; ISBN 0-309-10056-9; availablefrom NAP).

Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness AnalysisBoard on Health Care Services,Institute of Medicine (2006, approx.380 pp.; ISBN 0-309-10077-1; avail-able from NAP).

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Winter/Spring 2006vol. 6 number 1

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Museum Muses: Barton Lidicé Benes and Justine CooperFeb. 12 - May 1

This exhibition pairs Justine Cooper and Barton Lidicé Benes, two artistswhose work addresses museum issues and the nature of collecting. Benescollects bits of rubbish left behind by celebrities and assembles them intohis own whimsical cabinets of curiosity. Cooper spent a year as artist-in-residence at the American Museum of Natural History, photographingthe institution’s collections and labyrinth of storage spaces.

At the National Academy of Sciences2100 C St. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (photo ID required)<national-academies.org/arts>202-334-2436

Upcoming Exhibitions

Patricia Olynyk, Cenesthesia: Taste (detail), 2005,

digital print on rag paper, 115 x 44 inches

The Office of Exhibitions and Cultural Programs of theNational Academy of Sciences presents an exploration of the

intersection of art, science, engineering, and medicine.

Sensing Terrains: An Installation by Patricia Olynyk

Feb. 12 - June 16

In this exhibition, Patricia Olynyk juxtaposes triggers of sensation with the sensory system itself. She incorporates her

own imagery of a variety of specimens, including humancorneas, wild mouse taste buds, and guinea pig cochlea withphotographs of Japanese gardens meant to tickle the senses.

Justine Cooper, American Lobster (Homarus

americanus), American Museum of Natural

History, New York City, 2004, digital chromogenic

print, 26 x 20 inches

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Caring for Both Mind and Body | Wetland Restoration of Coastal Louisiana