In The News

Software Being Developed to Monitor Opinions of US

Eric Lipton October 5, 2006
It’s no secret that world opinion of the US has hit a low point. So the US Department of Homeland Security is funding university research to develop software and monitor negative opinions expressed in foreign newspaper accounts. The agency will rely on the analysis “to identify potential threats to the nation,” explains journalist Eric Lipton. Spies traditionally rely on reading newspapers to...

A Path to Global Disarmament

Hans Blix October 5, 2006
With North Korea threatening to test a nuclear weapon and openly blast its way into the nuclear club, the world is at a dangerous crossroads. The world community must craft careful responses to the states that are determined to become nuclear powers, writes Hans Blix, chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. History has shown that incentives work better than threats. The...

How to Buy Image

Ayman El-Amir October 2, 2006
Some Muslim leaders ponder the value of investing in Western media corporations to encourage greater appreciation of Islamic culture and ideas globally. But buying a new image is not so easy, and propaganda makes no profits, warns journalist Ayman El-Amir. “A successful media venture has to be an integral part of the socio-economic and political fabric of the nation,” he writes. Value systems...

US-Russia Effort to Contain Nuclear Experts Fades

Fred Weir September 22, 2006
Terrorists in search of weapons of mass destruction could turn to nuclear scientists for advice. The US and Russia established a joint program in 1998 providing opportunities for former Soviet scientists with nuclear secrets, and the program is set to expire. Ten Russian cities – once major Soviet sites for nuclear research and still home for 35,000 underemployed scientists – remain closed and...

The Great Squanderer: China’s Scramble for Energy

Wieland Wagner September 18, 2006
Known as the “great factory of the world,” China is on a global hunt for energy, minerals and other natural resources. China accounts for about 10 percent of the world’s energy consumption, and with the world’s larges population, per-capita consumption is expected to increase steadily. Despite the fast growth of its economy, more than 9 percent annually, China does not use energy efficiently,...

Safe Passage

Geoff Brumfiel September 11, 2006
After the 9/11 attacks five years ago, the US was paranoid about attacks from any direction, including foreign scientists. Congress passed legislation requiring face-to-face interviews with every visa applicant and background checks were particularly onerous for the likes of physicists, engineers and chemists. It was not uncommon for scientists, even those renown in their fields, to undergo...

Safety Last

Robert X. Cringely September 6, 2006
When it comes to technology, businesses and consumers prioritize power over safety. With fierce global competition in the computer and mobile-phone markets, firms move products to market quickly, regardless of risks. Apple Computer and Dell Computer recently recalled lithium-ion batteries, which produced high power, but were also prone to explosions. In the competitive markets, the companies...