american academy of arts & sciences summer 2010 Bulletin vol. lxiii, no. 4 Page 5 Do Scientists Understand the Public? An Essay by Chris Mooney based on a project with David Clark, Thomas Isaacs, David Altshuler, and Robert Fri Page 15 Advances in Brain Science: Implications for Therapy Emilio Bizzi, Edward Scolnick, and Robert Desimone Page 29 Black Humor: Reflections on an American Tradition Gerald Early, Glenda Carpio, and Werner Sollors with illustrations by Charles Johnson inside: Diplomats Discuss Nuclear Nonproliferation, Page 1 The Alternative Energy Future, Page 3 Projects on Science in American Society, Page 4 The Education of an American Dreamer by Peter G. Peterson and Peter Nicholas, Page 23 Calendar of Events Save the Date: Thursday, Saturday, September 16, 2010 November 13, 2010 Contents Meeting–Boston Meeting–Chicago Academy Projects in collaboration with Boston University in collaboration with the Chicago The Great American University Humanities Festival Update on The Global Nuclear Future Initiative: Diplomats Discuss Nuclear Speaker: Jonathan Cole, Columbia Part I: Reproductive Rights University Nonproliferation at Academy Time: 11:30 a.m. Meeting 1 Location: Boston University Speakers: Reva Siegel, Yale Law School; Gerald Rosenberg, University of Chicago; U.S. Policy toward Russia 2 Friday, Christine Stansell, University of Chicago; October 8, 2010 and Geoffrey Stone, University of Chicago New Study: The Alternative Energy Future 3 2010 Induction–Cambridge Part II: Censored!–The First Amendment, Celebrating the Arts and Humanities Sex, and Obscenity Projects on Science in American Location: House of the Academy Time: 4:30 p.m. Society 4 Speakers: Geoffrey Stone, University of Do Scientists Understand the Public? Saturday, Chicago; Martin Redish, Northwestern An Essay by Chris Mooney 5 October 9, 2010 University; and Amy Adler, New York University 2010 Induction–Cambridge Location: Northwestern University 230th Induction Ceremony Academy Meetings School of Law Location: Sanders Theatre Advances in Brain Science: Wednesday, Implications for Therapy Sunday, December 8, 2010 Emilio Bizzi, Edward Scolnick, October 10, 2010 Meeting–New York and Robert Desimone 15 2010 Induction–Cambridge in collaboration with New York University The Education of an American Sunday Symposium The Role of Universities in Urban Centers Dreamer Location: House of the Academy Peter G. Peterson and Speakers: Robert Berdahl, Association of American Universities; Jared Cohon, Peter Nicholas 23 Wednesday, Carnegie Mellon University; Judith Rodin, November 10, 2010 Black Humor: Reflections on an Rockefeller Foundation; and John Sexton, American Tradition Meeting–Cambridge New York University Gerald Early, Glenda Carpio, On the Economy Location: New York University and Werner Sollors 29 Speakers: Robert M. Solow, Massachu- setts Institute of Technology; and Ben- For information and reservations, contact jamin M. Friedman, Harvard University the Events Of½ce (phone: 617-576-5032; Noteworthy 42 Location: House of the Academy email: [email protected]). From the Archives 44 Academy Projects Update on the Global Nuclear Future Initiative: Diplomats Discuss Nuclear Nonproliferation at Academy Meeting Every ½ve years, representatives of the 189 Representative for Disarmament); Jayantha nations that are signatories to the Treaty on Dhanapala of Sri Lanka (currently the Pres- the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ident of the Pugwash Conferences on Science (npt) gather at the United Nations to re- and World Affairs); and Mohamed Shaker view progress made on the three pillars of of Egypt (currently the Vice Chairman of the the Treaty: nonproliferation, disarmament, Board of the Egyptian Council for Foreign and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Affairs). Historically, the Review Conference has been Ambassador-level delegates from more than marked by deep divisions between nuclear twelve countries attended the meeting, haves and have-nots. This year, the American along with the leaders of the Academy’s Academy of Arts and Sciences has played a Initiative–Steven Miller (Harvard Univer- behind-the-scenes role in bridging that rift. sity) and Scott Sagan (Stanford University) By bringing together senior of½cials from –and senior project advisors Robert Ros- nations that have or are aspiring to have nu- ner (University of Chicago) and Stephen Steven Miller (Harvard University) and Libran N. clear power, the Academy’s Global Nuclear Goldberg (Argonne National Laboratory). Cabactulan (Permanent Mission of the Republic Future Initiative has provided a neutral forum of the Philippines to the UN) The Global Nuclear Future Initiative’s distinc- for key players to candidly exchange ideas tive and pragmatic approach to nuclear safe- aspects of the nuclear future, including an and approaches, free of posturing that often ty, security, and nonproliferation issues has international conference in Abu Dhabi, dominates discussion in the public spotlight. had a direct impact on domestic and inter- United Arab Emirates, in December 2009 Ambassador Libran N. Cabactulan of the national policy. The ½ndings and recommen- that focused on the spread of nuclear power Philippines, presiding President of the 2010 dations drawn from this work have been re- in the Middle East. Another international npt Review Conference, joined leaders of quested and cited by senior of½cials in the meeting will take place in Singapore in the Academy’s Global Nuclear Future Initiative White House and the Departments of Ener- November 2010. It will focus on regional at an Academy-sponsored meeting held in gy and State, and have directly informed the perspectives on current nuclear trends, New York on May 7, 2010. The group also in- work of the April 2010 Global Nuclear Secu- including the changing nuclear suppliers cluded several former Review Conference rity Summit hosted by President Obama. market and managing the nuclear fuel cycle in a way that takes into account the nuclear Presidents, including Ambassadors Sergio The Academy has used its convening power un development goals of the region. In addi- Duarte of Brazil (currently the ’s High and the wide range of expertise of its mem- tion, the Academy has published a widely bers to involve diverse inter- cited special double issue of its journal national players in the Initia- Dædalus (Fall 2009 and Winter 2010) and tive. Participants include a series of Occasional Papers that gather representatives from nuclear diverse international perspectives on the industry and international fuel cycle and disarmament. organizations, as well as from those states now em- More information about the Global Nuclear barking on nuclear power Future Initiative is available on the Academy’s programs whose views and website at http://www.amacad.org/projects/ concerns are often over- globalNuclear1.aspx. looked by the international This Initiative is supported by Carnegie community. The result has Corporation of New York, which hosted been the formation of a new the New York meeting; the William and network of policy-makers Flora Hewlett Foundation; the Alfred P. and scholars dedicated to the Sloan Foundation; and Fred Kavli and the security of nuclear energy. Kavli Foundation. Mohamed Shaker (Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs), The Academy has held a se- Jayantha Dhanapala (Pugwash Conferences on Science and ries of meetings on various World Affairs), and Scott Sagan (Stanford University) Bulletin of the American Academy, Summer 2010 1 Academy Projects U.S. Policy Toward Russia mendations for dealing with the conceptual mentary from experienced policy-maker challenge of pursuing an active, engaged Thomas Graham (Kissinger Associates), policy toward Russia while maintaining assess the challenge Russia poses to U.S. an independent, supportive policy toward policy. In Part II, Samuel Charap (Center Russia’s neighbors. for American Progress), Keith A. Darden (Yale University), and H. E. Goemans Many of the project’s steering committee (University of Rochester) devise policy ap- members appeared at outreach events proaches to the challenge Russia presents, around the country, in Europe, and in and Steven Pifer (The Brookings Institu- Russia. For example, on March 18, 2009, tion) provides feedback on the proposed Eugene Rumer (Institute for National Se- strategies from a policy-maker’s stand- curity Studies) and Angela Stent (George- point. Part III turns to the practical and po- town University) spoke at the World Affairs litical obstacles to designing and imple- Council of Houston on “Rethinking Rela- menting U.S. policy, with essays by Daniel tions with Russia”; on April 17, 2009, at W. Drezner (Fletcher School of Law and Chatham House in London, Robert Legvold Diplomacy, Tufts University) and Monica gave a presentation on “Can There be a Duffy Toft (Harvard Kennedy School). U.S.-European Partnership in Policy to- ward Russia?”; and from June 30 to July 1, This publication is an attempt to bridge the 2009, several committee members partici- growing distance between policy-makers pated in a joint seminar in Moscow cospon- and scholars. The volume’s editors, Timo- sored by the Academy, Russia’s Council for thy Colton (Harvard University), Timothy Over the past two years the Academy has Foreign and Defense Policy, and ria Nov- Frye (Columbia University), and Robert conducted a major reexamination of U.S. osti. Several steering committee members Legvold (Columbia University), recall in foreign policy toward Russia. Under the also made presentations in Chicago,