Opinion in 2001

A congressional committee has erred in its appropriate desire to support free enterprise.

Europe's research commissioner should develop a bolder vision for his 'European Research Area', while explicitly addressing the conflicting demands on the European Union's research programme.

George W. Bush needs a scientific adviser even more than the US research community needs a voice in the White House.

A new report provides a useful overview of issues surrounding the mutual and conflicting interests of academic researchers and business. Its recommendations should inspire caution rather than unalloyed enthusiasm.

The president of the Max Planck Society has struck the right note in acknowledging past crimes against humanity.

With a federal election due in Australia this year, the two main political parties are vying over how best to stimulate the growth of biotechnology. But the quest for a knowledge-intense economy requires long-term investment and management.

The attitude of US governments and oil companies will be bad for their businesses.

The drive to acquire intellectual property from research contributes to the wealth of nations, but can also undermine science if carried to excess. Exaggerated claims threaten to undermine the funding and climate of basic research.

Chemistry suffers from multiple image problems. Chemists working at its boundaries should acknowledge and celebrate their roots, while those at its core have much to celebrate too.

The US legislature is bereft of objective guidance on issues that underpin much of its work. A congressional Office of Technology Assessment should be reinstated as soon as possible, on a solid basis of bipartisan support.

A new German bioethics council should lead to a prompt resolution of debates over stem cells.

Studies of past global change from sediments and ice cores have revealed a rich diversity of gradual and rapid perturbations. But more should be done to make the data usable by the research community as a whole.

More needs to be done to turn young scientists into comprehensible professionals and citizens.

Biologists should involve themselves in the debate over biological weapons — both to ensure that we have the means to counter the threats that such weapons pose and to help keep those threats in perspective.

Introducing a survey of unprecedented scope.

The South African government at last has an opportunity to fight AIDS with drugs at reduced prices without fear of legal action. The country has the capacity to make significant progress. The government should make use of it.

Conflict between science and spiritual traditions in Hawaii can be overcome by common interests.

After a slow start, progress towards developing public repositories for gene expression data is poised to accelerate. For the many biologists working with DNA microarrays, that should be welcome news.

With no explanation, the first budget proposed by George W. Bush proposes drastic reductions in environmental research.

The Human Genome Organisation was both a cheer-leader and a coordinator for genomics. But proteomics is a different beast, and the fledgling Human Proteome Organisation will struggle to find a similar role.