Summer 2004
The BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY
Engineering and American Diplomacy Norman P. Neureiter Japanese-American Collaborative Efforts to Counter Terrorism Lewis M. Branscomb The Nuclear Crisis in North Korea Siegfried S. Hecker Engineering for the Developing World Bernard Amadei
Promoting the technological welfare of the nation by marshalling the knowledge and insights of eminent members of the engineering profession. The BRIDGE
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
George M.C. Fisher, Chair Wm. A. Wulf, President Sheila E. Widnall, Vice President W. Dale Compton, Home Secretary George Bugliarello, Foreign Secretary William L. Friend, Treasurer
Editor-in-Chief George Bugliarello (Interim)
Managing Editor: Carol R. Arenberg Production Assistant: Penelope Gibbs The Bridge (USPS 551-240) is published quarterly by the National Academy of Engineering, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. Vol. 34, No. 2 Summer 2004 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bridge, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418. Papers are presented in The Bridge on the basis of general interest and time- liness. They reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of the National Academy of Engineering. The Bridge is printed on recycled paper. © 2004 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
A complete copy of each issue of The Bridge is available in PDF format at http://www.nae.edu/TheBridge. Some of the articles in this issue are also available as HTML documents and may contain links to related sources of information, multimedia files, or other content. The Volume 34, Number 2 • Summer 2004 BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY
Editor’s Note 3 Engineering, Foreign Policy, and Global Challenges George Bugliarello
Features 5 Engineering and American Diplomacy Norman P. Neureiter We need engineering-literate people in the policy- making arena. 11 Japanese-American Collaborative Efforts to Counter Terrorism Lewis M. Branscomb The author makes a case for bilateral counterterrorism projects. 17 The Nuclear Crisis in North Korea Siegfried S. Hecker A U.S. delegation was shown North Korea’s nuclear facilities. 24 Engineering for the Developing World Bernard Amadei Engineers have a collective responsibility to improve the lives of people around the world.
NAE News and Notes 32 NAE Newsmakers 33 NAE Elects Officers and Councillors 34 Draper and Gordon Prize Recipients Honored 36 The Power of the Context by Alan C. Kay 39 The Ongoing Computer Revolution by Butler W. Lampson 41 Following the Dream by Robert W. Taylor 43 A Long Way to Go by Charles P. Thacker 45 Bridging the Gap between Engineering and Business by Frank S. Barnes 47 Seventh German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
(continued on next page) The BRIDGE
48 A Serious Game in Las Vegas 48 EngineerGirl! Contest Winners 49 NAE Development Notes 50 Susan Sink Joins NAE as Senior Director of Development 50 Arnold Beckman, Inventor, Chemist, and Philanthropist 51 Harold Liebowitz, Former NAE President 51 In Memoriam 52 Dane and Louise Miller Symposium 52 Preview of the 2004 Annual Meeting 53 Calendar of Meetings and Events
The National Academies Update 53 Grant from the Gates Foundation Supports African Science Academies
54 Publications of Interest
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self- The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the author- to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility ity of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional char- has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on ter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, The National Research Council was organized by the National under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its adminis- science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering tration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal gov- accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the ernment. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engi- Council has become the principal operating agency of both the neering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages edu- National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engi- cation and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of neering in providing services to the government, the public, and the engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered of Engineering. jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org 3 Editor’s Note
Engineering, Foreign engineering and NAE, beginning with the necessity of Policy, and Global keeping track of technological engineering develop- Challenges ments throughout the world, as no nation has a monop- oly on creativity, inventiveness, and technological skills. Historically, many engi- The establishment of a dialogue with engineers and neering advances have pre- scientists from countries that are critical to the stability cipitated major changes in of the world, regardless of the vagaries of the political interactions between nations climate—what might be called scientific and engi- and have influenced the neering diplomacy—presents an even bigger challenge. conduct and direction of for- Examples include the Pugwash conferences that main- eign policy. The opening of tained contacts between American and Russian engi- George Bugliarello is President the Suez and Panama canals neers and scientists during the Cold War, recent Emeritus and University Professor had significant geopolitical meetings between American and Iranian engineers and at Polytechnic University in Brook- impacts. The Berlin-to- scientists, under the auspices of the National Acade- lyn, New York, and foreign secre- Baghdad railroad influenced mies, the visit in January of this year by NAE member tary of NAE. the strategies of the Allies in Sig Hecker to North Korea, and a growing number of World War I, and the Trans- interactions between NAE and other countries, includ- Siberian railroad enhanced the presence and power of ing China, Germany, Japan, and Mexico. Russia in Asia. Technologies for extracting and using oil An urgent challenge is reducing a global, “corrosive have affected political balances throughout the world, set of imbalances” (a term coined in a different context starting with the decision of the British Admiralty before World War I to switch from coal to oil, which radically by Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve changed relations with the Middle East. Board) between the affluent and the poor. Desperate Information technology and the Internet have weak- deficiencies in food, housing, health, jobs, and infra- ened the ability of central governments to maintain structure that keep almost one-third of humankind in control of the flow of information across borders. abject poverty call for massive engineering involve- Telecommunications have changed diplomacy, making ment. Engineers Without Borders and the Gates Foun- it possible for governments at home to direct the actions dation, which funds capacity-building for health care in of diplomats in distant countries in real time, who, until Africa, are examples of efforts to reduce these imbal- then, by necessity, had acted much more autonomously. ances and fight poverty. But far more must be done. With instant communications, governments no longer Far more also remains to be done to address the have time to deal with crises before the media arouse related challenges to world sustainability, such as public awareness. Sputnik and subsequent develop- global warming, increases in carbon dioxide emissions, ments in space challenged the concept of national sov- the predicted rise in sea levels, over-fishing, over- ereignty in space. Advances in military technology consumption, and the disappearance of species. Sus- constantly challenge existing political balances. In addi- tainability will require not only working defensively, tion, many engineering organizations—private compa- but also creating imaginative new projects, like envi- nies, as well as societies, such as the American Society ronmentally benign infrastructural systems in homes of Civil Engineering and the World Federation of Engi- and cars and water-efficient desert agriculture. Sus- neering Organizations—are working internationally. tainability and combating poverty are the foundations The synergy of engineering and science, business, of a stable civil society, and they require the crossing of finance, and politics has changed the world. Even boundaries and the pooling of crucial human though engineering is an indispensable element of that resources—particularly engineers. synergy, it is rarely considered an instrument of foreign A difficult international issue of immediate concern policy and international relations. In this context, it to nearly all of the U.S. engineering community is the is sobering to review some of the challenges facing migration of engineering jobs abroad. How can the The 4 BRIDGE
United States continue to pursue the advantages of have done so, too, in creating the indispensable bases global economic efficiency—the more than zero-sum for civilized living, from clean water to telecommunica- game—without the loss of key engineering skills and tions and transportation systems. All of these develop- technological capabilities, particularly in the manu- ments at one time challenged dogmas and undermined facturing sector? the status quo. Although engineering is only one instrument for The global challenges facing our nation and the addressing global challenges and international relations, world today will require even greater commitment and it is a crucial one. The engineering community must par- courage from engineers, new visions of the possible, and ticipate actively in policy discussions and planning, and the championing of new global agendas. The papers in may even sometimes provide a technological fix that this issue address the issues of engineering and Ameri- cuts through the Gordian knot of seemingly unresolv- can diplomacy (Neureiter), Japanese-American collab- able social or political impasses. Engineers must not be orative efforts to counter terrorism (Branscomb), the afraid to go where angels fear to tread, when necessary. nuclear crisis in North Korea (Hecker), and engi- Scientists have acted boldly in pursuing genetics, neering for the developing world (Amadei). molecular biology, and the green revolution. Econo- mists and political scientists have done so with the mar- ket economy and the globalization of trade. Engineers We need engineering-literate people in the policy- making arena.
Engineering and American Diplomacy
Norman P. Neureiter
During my recently completed three-year tenure as the first science and technology adviser to the secretary of state, I got my comeuppance one day as I addressed a group at the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). As part of the U.S. Department of State’s outreach to the U.S. science and tech- nology (S&T) community, I frequently address technical audiences, trying to arouse their interest in S&T as an essential element in the formation of U.S. Norman P. Neureiter is Distin- foreign policy (NRC, 1999a). When I finished my talk and asked for ques- guished Presidential Fellow for tions, a voice in the audience called out, “You talk about science and tech- International Affairs of the Nation- nology—well, what about engineering?” Slightly nonplussed, I mumbled something about the word “technology” being synonymous with engineering al Academies. for me. But later I began to think that I may have been shortchanging engi- neering as a profession. I realized that to engage the engineering profession, I had to talk not just about technology but also about the role of engineers and engineering societies (Neureiter, 2004). That is why I am pleased to amplify George Bugliarello’s eloquent editorial appeal in this issue for more engagement by engineers in addressing global challenges—in both policy and practice. This is the first time I have written for an engineering publication, and I must begin with a confession. As an organic chemist in college, I admit I looked down on engineers. They were a slightly strange lot of guys (no girls in those days) with pocket protectors and dangling slide rules. Their The 6 BRIDGE building at Rochester was across campus, out in the relationships with the some 190 countries and many boonies. There was no room in their schedules for Eng- international governmental organizations, such as the lish, history, foreign languages, or philosophy. We United Nations, the World Health Organization chemists may have had acid holes in our clothes, but we (WHO), the Food and Agricultural Organization, wore them as badges of honor because we were doing NATO, UNESCO, and many others. “pure science” in pursuit of “fundamental knowledge.” Since September 11, 2001, U.S. foreign policy and Engineers always seemed to have a kind of academic domestic policy have been dominated by the global war grease under their fingernails. on terrorism and ensuring homeland security. But My epiphany began when I joined the Humble Oil beyond the horrors of today’s headlines, a steadfast goal Company (now part of Exxon) where I found that of U.S. foreign policy continues to be building a world chemists were outsiders whose ideas were usually dis- of peace and prosperity for all people in the world. missed by managers who had grown up in the oil patch. Beyond stopping terrorists and controlling weapons Engineers ran the place, turning sulfurous black crude of mass destruction, U.S. foreign policy addresses cli- into the gasoline and petrochemical feedstocks that fuel mate change and global warming, environmental the national economy. Later, I joined Texas Instruments degradation, natural disasters, new sources of energy, (TI), where the entire corporate cuture was defined food safety, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, by engineers; even the chief financial officer was an transportation, communications, the livability of cities, engineer. In 2001, when a revered friend, Jack St. Clair and economic viability for a world population that may Kilby, a modest former electrical engineer at TI with no reach nine billion by 2050. Ph.D., was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his To meet these formidable challenges in a complex, 1958 invention of the integrated circuit, my false interdependent world, we must find a path to sus- chemist’s pride was dashed forever. tainable development—a way to reconcile develop- ment goals with the long-term environmental limits of our planet. The vocabulary of diplomats includes not only politics and conflict, but also other topics, such as Most of the goals of U.S. new energy technologies, clean water, pandemic dis- eases, genetically modified foods, the preservation foreign policy involve of tropical forests, computer security, education, intel- lectual property, marine resources, and the role of science, technology, or health. science and engineering in economic development, to name but a few. In the NRC report I mentioned earlier, the study committee noted that 13 of the Engineers make things, things that work, and engi- 16 stated goals of U.S. foreign policy involve consider- neers keep them working. After a visit a couple of years ations of science, technology, or health. The com- ago to a deepwater drilling and production platform mittee called on the Department of State to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico, it seemed to me that engineers its capacity to deal with these kinds of issues and to could do just about anything they put their minds to. appoint a science and technology adviser to the secre- It was an unforgettable experience to see, and even tary of state to drive the process. more to feel, that huge, $1.5-billion floating structure The State Department is a very complex institution, tethered to the bottom, producing and partially pro- with some 25 bureaus that participate in the policy for- cessing some 50,000 barrels of oil and millions of cubic mation process on a wide range of issues. The tradi- feet of natural gas per day from 14 different wells and tional heart of the department are the six regional or feeding the output directly into pipelines for transit to geographic bureaus that house the “country desks” that the East Coast. oversee U.S. relations with every country in the world. But what does engineering have to do with diplomacy The other bureaus are functional bureaus—centers of and the Department of State? The role of the State expertise in specialized areas that may apply to any or Department, with its approximately 250 embassies and all countries or regions. These specialized areas include consulates abroad, is to formulate and implement the economic and business affairs; arms control and non- foreign policy of the United States and to manage our proliferation; consular matters; oceans, environment, SUMMER 2004 7
and science; democracy and human rights; and refugees nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and and migration. Bureaus with different perspectives may human rights. have different opinions on issues, making the develop- The fellowship programs could not have succeeded ment of a coordinated policy position very challenging. without tremendous support from the scientific and It would be nice if S&T inputs to policy could be engineering communities. We started with an expan- made by whispering in the secretary’s ear, but nothing sion of the AAAS Fellows Program, which had been could be further from the truth. Policies move up operating at a modest level for many years. Then the through the bureaus, and by the time they reach the sec- American Institute of Physics (AIP) stepped forward; retary, they reflect the multiple views of the offices con- AIP now provides one fellow each year. A similar pro- cerned. Because S&T inputs are essential elements of gram with the American Chemical Society is now many policies, but rarely the ultimate subject of the pol- beginning, and a fellowship agreement has been signed icy, they must be made early in the policy process to have an impact. I concluded very soon that the depart- ment needed more in-house technical capacity—more scientists and engineers distributed throughout the Technology has become bureaus—to make those technical inputs. We could no longer wait until policies had moved up through the a new international currency. bureaucracy and reached the secretary’s level. One longer term approach to increasing the in-house S&T capacity of the State Department is to recruit more scientists and engineers into the Foreign Service—to with the Industrial Research Institute. The IEEE made encourage them to change careers and become profes- engineering history two years ago when it became the sional Foreign Service officers. We did make some first professional engineering society to create a fellow- efforts in that direction. ship program, selecting one engineer each year. Collec- In the past, Foreign Service officers typically had back- tively, these are now called the Professional Science and grounds in political science, international relations, or Engineering Society Fellows Program. My successor as history, but today the State Department is looking for science adviser has developed the Jefferson Fellows more diversity in the disciplines and previous work expe- Program, in partnership with some 50 research univer- rience of Foreign Service candidates. Scientists and sities, that will bring in active professors for one year and engineers with firsthand experience of the scientific, retain them as professional consultants for an additional technical, and health issues that are fast becoming the five years. A three-year pilot program at a level of five main items on the diplomatic agenda will become the fellows per year is being funded by the MacArthur and diplomats of the twenty-first century. Technology has Sloan Foundations. become a kind of new international currency, and intel- Of course, engineer-fellows cannot expect to design lectual property rights and technological competitive- or build new gadgets, but to provide advice, counsel, and ness are items on the global trade agenda and the subject personal involvement in the daily business of American of international negotiations. Engineers can make diplomacy. One engineer-fellow is working in the Inter- unique contributions to discussions in all of these areas. national Communications and Information Policy But the focus of our work was on fellowship programs Office of the Economics and Business Affairs Bureau, to bring professional scientists and engineers into the which draws on his expertise in electrical engineering State Department for one or two years to work alongside and information technology in formulating interna- diplomats to ensure that the technical dimensions of tional telecommunications policies, frequency alloca- policies were fully comprehended in the policy-making tion negotiations, and so on. He loves his work, but he process. Our efforts in this direction succeeded beyond also told me that his engineer friends cannot understand all expectations. In fact, I feel that my greatest legacy is why he is “wasting his time” working on policy, on inter- the growth of these fellowship programs. By September national blah-blah, when he could be doing real work 2003, 40 scientists and engineers had committed to work and making something. Convincing young engineers of as fellows in 12 different bureaus on dozens of issues— the importance of formulating policies that organize and everything from climate change and agricultural trade to regulate a technologically driven world is a challenge for The 8 BRIDGE the engineering community. People who understand 25 years of NAE and its ultimately successful struggle to the consequences of those policies should play a major become a respected source of advice to government on role in their formation. I would like to see at least the vast range of technological issues that affect the 50 S&T fellows a year in the Department of State, a lives of all Americans. The point is that foreign policies good share of them engineers. also need the advice and counsel of the engineering An excellent way to sample the diplomatic life is to community. This advice can be formally commissioned spend one or two years as a fellow under one of the from an outside body, such as the NAE/NRC, or Department of State’s fellowship programs. Under- obtained informally in roundtable discussions. But even graduates and graduate students can also work in the these simple events will not take place unless there are State Department as interns—mostly during the sum- more engineering-literate people inside the system, mer, but programs are available throughout the year. either as fellows or regular employees, who appreciate Interns can work at U.S. embassies overseas as well as the value of technical advice and know how and where in Washington. to get it. Thirty-five years ago at Cape Kennedy in Florida, I marveled at the sight and sound of Apollo 11 blasting off for man’s first step on the moon. NASA Administrator Scientists and engineers James Webb had described the challenges of managing an engineering enterprise of that magnitude—hundreds throughout the world have of thousands of separate parts, all supplied by the lowest a common language. bidder, that all had to work, and work together, for the program to succeed. The trick, he said, was to have at least 15 percent of the engineering capabilities in house, to ensure that NASA had enough “smarts” to manage Professional scientists and engineers are also wel- and monitor what the contractors were doing. The State come in many embassies overseas. Many ambassadors Department, too, needs a certain complement of S&T have become aware of the tremendous admiration of skills in house to ensure that S&T considerations are host countries for U.S. science and engineering. fully integrated into the policy process. The department Professional scientists and engineers have immediate needs scientists and engineers—as interns, as fellows, access to technical circles abroad at a level of accep- and as Foreign Service officers. tance rarely accorded regular diplomatic personnel. We It is interesting to note that a majority of the senior succeeded in establishing one position for an embassy political leaders of China were trained as engineers. S&T adviser in Australia, an earth scientist on long- They are driving both China’s rapid rate of economic term detail from NASA, who has been tremendously development and its huge national commitment to successful in building closer ties between the embassy progress in S&T. The outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and the university and research communities and has to China, the enormous U.S. trade deficit with China, initiated some cooperative projects. The new Jefferson and concerns about the lack of enforcement of intellec- Fellows Program provides for fellows to spend a portion tual property laws are the subjects of intense diplomatic of their time working with embassies abroad. dialogue, as well as internal U.S. political debate. Under the Embassy Fellows Program, scientists and In Atlanta recently for an IEEE meeting, I met a engineers from U.S government technical agencies are recent Ph.D. engineering graduate from Georgia Tech, detailed for one to three months to U.S. embassies who had stayed on after graduation as an instructor. He abroad to work on specific issues. The demand from and his research professor had formed a company to embassies still exceeds the current supply, but with market a patented invention based on his thesis six or seven agencies now participating, the program research. When he heard about my work, he provided is running at about 45 visits per year. Scientists and me with the text of a lecture by John Sununu (2002) engineers readily find a common language throughout given at Georgia Tech some two years before. the world, regardless of the strains that may exist in John Sununu, a mechanical engineer with a Ph.D. political relations. from MIT, has had a remarkable career. He has been a I recently read a fascinating history of the first professor and associate dean of engineering at Tufts, SUMMER 2004 9
president of his own engineering company, a member of advice or, at least, does not ignore the technical realities NAE, governor of New Hampshire, and then chief of in making national decisions. staff in the White House to the first President Bush—an In late 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable incredible leap from education and practical engineer- Development (WSSD) brought tens of thousands of ing to the arena of public policy and foreign policy at the political leaders, delegates, and observers to Johannes- very highest level. His speech in Atlanta contained burg, South Africa, in an attempt to move toward a some powerful and prescient words: global consensus on how to advance the cause of sus- tainable development. In addition to stressing the Good public policy needs engineers to be good pub- importance of good governance, the United States lic policy makers. There isn’t much new or better that made a strong effort to emphasize the role of science happens in the world today that isn’t made possible by some innovation in engineering. But all the changes that and engineering in an effective development program. make life better also make life a bit more complicated. Prior to the conference, NAE and the engineering com- To deal with these complications, we develop public poli- munity issued a “Declaration on Sustainability,” which cies, laws, and regulations to provide the framework for stressed the importance of involving engineers at every the operation of an orderly beneficial society. stage of the process. The meeting also emphasized the importance of public/private partnerships, bringing gov- While engineers continue to drive real progress and ernments, corporations, universities, private founda- improvements to the quality of life, they generally have tions, international lending institutions, and been reluctant to get involved in the process of develop- nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) together to ing public policy. Unfortunately, they have long con- achieve specific goals. sidered that arena as being more appropriately the WSSD should not be considered a one-shot event but domain for other professions such as lawyers. In fact, the beginning of a long and enduring process. The State however, society needs a more active involvement in Department website (www.state.gov) lists examples of policy development by those who understand both the emerging partnerships. The present focus lasting two potential and the limitations of technology. Engineers years is on clean water; energy will be the next two-year need to think more seriously about accepting the respon- priority. In addition, the National Academies is begin- sibility of public office. If the problem solvers of the ning a series of initiatives on sustainable development world don’t participate in making public policy, then that will build on their excellent earlier study on sus- policies will be developed by those who don’t know how tainability (NRC, 1999b). to solve problems. Now that does not mean that engineers or chemists have greater insight on public policy issues than lawyers. But many foreign policy issues today involve technical The National Academies considerations, and it is essential that we have people in the decision-making process who understand those con- plans a series of initiatives on siderations. Their advice may be the salient factor in sustainable development. whether or not a policy succeeds. A primary challenge for the developed world is to deal not just with acts of terrorism, but also with the causes of terrorism. Many people believe that economic NAE recently published a splendid volume to cele- development in the Third World is an essential step brate the 20 greatest engineering achievements of the toward this end. Certainly, development of Third twentieth century, the engineering developments of World countries is an enormously complex process, but the past 100 years that have had the greatest effect in simple terms it means enabling countries to partici- on peoples’ lives (Constable and Somerville, 2003). In pate effectively in the global economy—an economy essence, those achievements and their broad availability driven by technology. To me this means countries must in developed countries define the difference between have an indigenous capacity for dealing with technol- the developed and developing worlds. A major goal of ogy, and there must be a local decision-making process, U.S. foreign policy is to narrow this gap significantly which, at best, fully embraces science and engineering over the next 20 years. To do this, we must have the full The 10 BRIDGE support of the U.S. engineering community—in terms ment of State. Technology in Society 26 (2-3): 303–320. of both policy and implementation. Addressing the NRC (National Research Council). 1999a. The Pervasive needs for water, energy, food, health, education, and Role of Science, Technology, and Health in Foreign Policy: jobs offers great and rewarding opportunities for bring- Imperatives for the Department of State. Washington, ing together American diplomacy and engineering— D.C.: National Academy Press. with immense portent for this perilous world. NRC. 1999b. Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. References Sununu, J.H. 2002. The Engineer in the Public Policy Arena. Constable, G., and B. Somerville. 2003. A Century of Inno- Presented at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechani- vation: Twenty Engineering Achievements That Trans- cal Engineering Annual Distinguished Lecture, Georgia formed Our Lives. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. Institute of Technology, April 11, 2002, Atlanta, Georgia. Neureiter, N.P. 2004. Science and technology in the Depart- The author makes a case for bilateral counterterrorism projects.
Japanese-American Collaborative Efforts to Counter Terrorism
Lewis M. Branscomb
Terrorism is a very old threat to established societies, most frequently from groups with political agendas (such as the IRA) or individuals with idio- syncratic motives for violence against the societies in which they live (such as Timothy McVeigh). No nation is immune. Even stable, homogeneous societies, such as Japan, are vulnerable. The religious sect Aum Shinrikyo made small quantities of a number of biological agents and carried out a suc- Lewis M. Branscomb is Professor cessful attack on people in the Tokyo subway. The group also carried out Emeritus, Public Policy and Corpo- marginally successful attacks on the Diet and the Crown Prince’s wedding rate Management at the Belfer Cen- with botulin toxin and attempted an anthrax attack on the streets of Tokyo (Olson, 1999). With a reputed $1.5 billion in assets, the sect was rumored ter for Science and International to have attempted to purchase nuclear weapons materials. Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Two recent events have heightened Japan’s awareness that it might be tar- Government, Harvard University. geted by Al Qaeda. First was the threat, thought to come from Al Qaeda, of terror attacks if Japan sent troops to Iraq (as she has now done). The threat became manifest with the taking of three hostages (since released) by insur- gents. Second, the attack on the trains in Madrid, attributed to Al Qaeda, reinforced the reality of terrorist threats against U.S. allies.
Motives for Cooperation Japan and the United States face similar threats, and a strong case can be made that they have a mutual interest in collaborating to reduce their vulnerabilities: The 12 BRIDGE
• Both nations have sophisticated technical capabili- Second, we must assume that some of their number ties that might be used to reduce their vulnerabilities. reside covertly in the societies they plan to attack.2 Third, terrorists appear to be very patient. They decide • The economies of Japan and the United States, as when they will strike. As a result, defenders against ter- well as their research and innovation systems, are rorism must be alert at all times, despite the apparent closely linked. absence of terrorist activity. • The terrorist targets in the two countries are similar: Finally, terrorists may have international bases of oper- ations and may even enjoy the sponsorship and assis- – symbols of nationhood tance of a sympathetic or rogue state. The combination – large aggregations of people in confined spaces of stateless terrorists who can infiltrate target societies supported by the resources of an irresponsible but tech- – even larger numbers of people widely distributed nically competent foreign government is particularly – control systems for critical infrastructure dangerous. The U.S. government identified the Taliban government of Afghanistan as such a state, and the Bush – the capability of responding effectively to attacks administration was concerned that the Baathist govern- • The highly efficient industrial and service economies ment of Iraq might also be such a state (although no of both nations continue to create new vulnerabilities. credible evidence has emerged that Saddam Hussein 3 In general, a strong argument can be made for multi- had anything to do with the September 11 attack). lateral efforts among the major democratic states to use Advantages of Industrial Societies technology to counter terrorism. The new brand of ter- rorism arises from transnational networks of linked Modern industrial societies have some offsetting terrorist groups that can launch cyberattacks on any advantages, provided that they adopt a multilateral nation from remote locations, can contaminate food in counterterrorism strategy. Global intelligence services international trade, and can ship weapons (including and military presence, especially when societies cooper- nuclear weapons and nuclear material) into target states ate with one another, may keep terror networks off bal- via international commerce. Ships, aircraft, trains, and ance and may be able to damage some of them and trucks are themselves transnational targets. Thus, on interfere with their communications and money flows. the consequence side of the ledger, the economies of tar- Military action, or the threat of it, may discourage rogue get societies are strongly linked. At the very least, for states from supporting them. both fairness and efficiency, border control procedures, Both Japan and the United States have preeminent such as biometrics, require the collaborative develop- capabilities in science and technology, both military ment of standards to ensure that passports and other (in the United States) and commercial high-tech (in documents are effective in all cooperating nations. both countries). Through the application of available or new technologies, internal targets can be made less vul- nerable, and thus less attractive. New technologies can also limit the damage from an attack, increase the speed Major democratic states of recovery, and provide forensic tools to identify the per- petrators. However, terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda can use technology to are led by well educated and well financed people who counter terrorism. may also have advanced technical skills. If they were supported by a government whose military establishment has developed weapons of mass destruction, these skills could be greatly amplified. Any technical strategy for Advantages of the Terrorists responding to the threat of catastrophic terrorism must Despite their small numbers, terrorists have some be configured to address this possibility. important advantages. First, their actions are largely Thus, there is an obvious incentive for collaboration unpredictable because their objectives, at least in in science and technology for countering terrorism. A the case of ideological terrorists such as Al Qaeda and dialogue between the United States and Japan is under Aum Shinrikyo, are largely idiosyncratic and obscure.1 way to explore how collaboration might be improved. SUMMER 2004 13
On February 12 and 13, 2004, a bilateral conference was by terrorists) is a civil, not a military, responsibility, held in Tokyo to explore possible collaborative activities this may be an area in which Japanese and U.S. con- by agencies of the two governments to use science and tractors and agencies can do business without running technology to counter terrorism. The U.S. contingent afoul of constraints against Japanese military sales was led by Dr. George Atkinson, science advisor to the to the United States. Finally, by pursuing the counter- secretary of state; a delegation from the U.S. Depart- terrorism science and technology program through a ment of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Tech- civil agency (MEXT), which has more benign, civil nology Directorate, headed by Dr. Penrose (Parney) missions, the program may have more sustainability. Albright, also participated. The Japanese contingent was led by officials of the Ministry of Education, Cul- ture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), repre- sentatives of the police, and Professor Kyoshi Kurokawa, The Japanese approach to chair of the Japan Science Council (Branscomb, 2004). A memorandum summarizing the working arrange- safety and security may be ments agreed to in that session is now being negotiated. right for America, too. U.S. and Japanese Views of Safety and Security The most striking contrast between the U.S. and Japanese positions was the difference in emphasis on From the U.S. perspective, an argument can be made preparations for and responses to unintentional (i.e., nat- that the Japanese approach is right for America, too. ural or accidental) disasters and failures from poor sys- Because terrorist threats are expected to persist for tem design of critical infrastructure systems versus decades, there are serious questions about the sustain- intentional (or terrorist) disasters. The U.S. view is ability of U.S. investments in counterterrorism science based on the political image of “war on terrorism” and and technology (Branscomb, 2004). A case can be the sense that the American public expects counter- made that, as long as both countries have conspicuous terrorism to be the first priority on the administration’s vulnerabilities that can be attacked by terrorists with agenda. The Japanese, however, derive their agenda, very serious consequences, there will be individuals and which they call “safety and security,” from two critical groups eager to exploit those vulnerabilities. Even when features of Japanese experience: (1) the frequency of Al Qaeda fades from the scene, other groups may be devastating earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis; and eager to exploit the extreme asymmetry inherent in the (2) a constitutional commitment not to prepare for or terrorist threat to economically advanced societies. engage in warfare. Thus, the Japanese consider prepara- Americans may tire of incessant color-coded warn- tions for high-consequence terrorism an extension of ings in the absence of serious attacks on the homeland; their “normal” civil duty of preparing for natural and they may resist the huge budgets of the counterterrorism accidental disasters. From the American point of view, effort. The captains of critical infrastructure industry preparations for the normal duties of providing safety and may continue to resist the massive capital expenditures security are by-products of DHS’s counterterrorism role.4 required to reduce their exposure to attack to a tolera- These contrasting views can be brought together. ble level. And, if it appears that Al Qaeda and affili- First, from the Japanese perspective, the threat of terror- ated groups have disbanded or become quiescent, the ism has, as discussed above, become real and apparent to public may not believe the threat is still credible. Thus, the public. Thus, the major science and technology presenting the U.S. strategy as a quest for safety and agency, MEXT, has a new, high-priority mission to security may help to make the long-term effort sustain- research and develop systems for reducing vulnerabilities able. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and massive forest fires to terrorism and improving responses to terrorist acts. will not go away. Failures in our increasingly complex Second, the technologies for counterterrorism infrastructure will probably become more frequent with have some attributes in common with military systems more serious consequences. (e.g., high-technology, complex systems environment, Thus, I believe the United States can learn a lot from markets created by public policy, et al.). Because the the Japanese approach to characterizing the job ahead. safety and security of the civil population (threatened If the goal of the search is for a dual-benefit5 strategy The 14 BRIDGE that reduces the cost to the economy and reduces the (PCAST) estimates that 85 percent of U.S. infra- failure rate of our infrastructure, the incremental added structure systems are owned and run by private firms, cost of reducing the vulnerabilities specific to terrorism not government. To pay for reducing these vulner- can be greatly reduced. abilities, industry would have to make public-goods investments with no reliable means of evaluating risk and thus justifying the expense.
The United States and Japan Dual-Benefit Strategy In a limited number of cases, firms may be able to both need a counterterrorism devise protective strategies that also reduce costs or im- industrial policy. prove products or services so that the total cost is mini- mized, or even negative. The way many firms responded to the Y2K threat offers some hope for this option. A dual-benefit strategy would have several advantages: Ecological Economics6 • It would increase the likelihood that industry would Vulnerabilities Created by Efficiency invest in hardening critical infrastructure. The vulnerabilities of modern industrial societies result not only from the possible escape of weapons of • It would encourage a more sustainable public com- mass destruction (WMDs) from government control, mitment to and tolerance for the costs and inconve- but also from the possible uses of commercial and indus- niences of national efforts to counter terrorist threats. trial products as weapons. A source of even greater vul- • It would integrate homeland security research and nerability, however, is the very efficiency of competitive development and engineering to ensure a high-quality, economic systems. The competitive drive for com- national effort. mercial efficiency creates linkages and vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure industries—energy, transpor- Because most terrorist targets and many of the tation, communications, food production and distri- weapons are embedded in the civil economy, security bution, public health, and financial transactions. issues cannot be neatly separated from other issues. Industrial efficiency may compromise an industry’s A strategy for gradually restructuring physical facilities, resilience to catastrophic terrorism in several ways: production processes, means of distributing food, and the like will have to reflect a balance of public-good invest- • Single point failures in industries in which costs of ments, for which government will have to take the equipment (e.g., ultrahigh-voltage transformers in initiative, and commercial investments aimed at com- electric power distribution systems) are high and the petitive success. The political economies of the United risks from small, more frequent events are low. This States and Japan are not designed to make this marriage equipment is operated without redundant backup. of conflicting interests and responsibilities easy; Euro- • Excessive concentration to increase economies of pean nations are more accustomed to balancing the scale. For example, chicken processing and distribu- public good and competitiveness in their economies. tion are concentrated in a handful of large firms. Fuel However ideologically distasteful the phrase, at least to and passengers are concentrated in large commercial Americans, both the United States and Japan will need air transports. a counterterrorism industrial policy. There are many examples of civilian benefits in the • Coupling of critical infrastructure systems to leverage United States that might result from a dual-benefits economies of scope. For example, transportation strategy: safety depends on the availability of electric power and secure computer networks. •revitalization of the Public Health Service to meet the normal health needs of communities Thus, a competitive economy creates vulnerabilities that can only be reduced through government policy • technical capability of responding even faster and and industry cooperation (Branscomb, 1997). The Pres- more effectively to natural biological threats, such as ident’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology SARS, the West Nile virus, and the monkey pox virus SUMMER 2004 15
• decrease in the number of illnesses caused by infec- engineering could make the task of counterterrorism tion from the food supply easier. Examples range from using very large sensor net- works to produce actionable information, to inventing • more reliable electric power and other services, biomaterial detectors for explosives, to mimicking the especially in the event of hurricanes, floods, olfactory capability of dogs. The joint development of and earthquakes standards for all technologies, such as biosensors for •improvements in the safety standards of the chem- border control, require agreed-upon, compatible hard- ical industry ware and software interfaces.
• fewer cyberattacks by hackers and financial sys- Role of Engineering tems that are more secure against theft and mali- Systems engineering skills are crucial for collaboration. cious damage The limitations of human performance are even more • more efficient and timely tracking of goods in transit severe in homeland security than in military operations. and billing for their content The variety of circumstances under which attacks might occur, uncertainties about how sensor systems will •a lower risk to fire, police, and emergency health respond to new circumstances, and above all, the need professionals for data interpretation that results in credible infor- A similar list could be constructed for Japan. mation for emergency decisions will all stress systems designs and analysis. A cyberattack coupled with more U.S.-Japan Cooperative Strategies conventional attacks would make getting “actionable” Bilateral cooperation includes exchanging informa- intelligence much more difficult. American expertise in tion, experience, strategies, and tactics and identifying systems engineering and human-factors design could be opportunities and gaps in each nation’s strategy. coupled with Japanese skills in rapid prototyping and fast Observing each other’s system tests and evaluations learning and redesign to address these problems. might benefit both countries. A comparison of preparations for high-consequence disasters in very large cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, with preparations in Tokyo and Osaka could Observing each other’s be instructive. U.S. thinking does not traditionally include a city as critical infrastructure, yet the com- tests and evaluations might plexity and interdependence of critical services in a city benefit both countries. creates an environment in which predicting conse- quences and providing emergency management are especially difficult. Other useful comparisons would be of first responder operations, communications, special The engineering challenges posed by technical com- equipment, and tactics. plexities are even more difficult because of the sensi- Areas for cooperative research include the applica- tivity of systems design to cost, which is a more tion of complex systems-engineering methods to deter- sensitive issue in homeland security than in military mine both vulnerabilities and alternative tactics for technology for three reasons: (1) the need to prepare response and recovery. Research could also focus on for a huge variety of potential targets and weapons; industry technologies and standards for products in (2) the expectation that private firms in cities and crit- international trade that could be used to deliver ical infrastructure will pay to reduce vulnerabilities and weapons (e.g., food products and pharmaceuticals). improve response; and (3) the dependence on a civil Another fruitful area for collaborative research is com- department (DHS in the United States and MEXT mon strategies for protecting engineering and science in Japan) to cover much of the development costs. systems, especially computer communications networks Unlike American defense industries, Japanese defense that are international by nature. industries are firms with primary businesses in civil mar- Exchanges of information and student and post- kets; thus, they have experience in dual-benefit design doctoral exchanges in areas of basic science and basic and manufacturing that could be very helpful. The 16 BRIDGE
Finally, engineering inventions are badly needed in Olson, K.B. 1999. Aum Shinrikyo: once and future threat? many areas to convert some promising scientific prin- Emerging Infectious Diseases 5(4): 513–516. Also avail- ciples into workable devices and systems. In the past, able online at
The Nuclear Crisis in North Korea
Siegfried S. Hecker
I was somewhat startled when my North Korean host asked me, “Do you want to see our product?” I responded, “You mean the plutonium?” When he nodded, I said “sure.” Scientists and engineers often find themselves in the middle of major diplomatic issues. In the past 12 years, I have worked closely with Russian scientists and engineers (more than 30 visits) to help them deal with their nuclear complex after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Siegfried S. Hecker is senior fellow However, my visit to North Korea was unexpected. at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This adventure began with a phone call in late 2003 from my colleague, Professor John W. Lewis of Stanford University, who has been engaged in unofficial Track II discussions with North Korea since 1987. He was there in August 2003 (his ninth visit) trying to help resolve the current nuclear cri- sis on the Korean Peninsula, and his interactions with the North Korean government had gained him sufficient trust to be invited to visit the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon. He asked me to come along so there would be a nuclear specialist present. This nuclear crisis, the second one in 10 years, was precipitated when North Korea expelled international nuclear inspectors in December 2002, withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and claimed to be build- ing more nuclear weapons with plutonium extracted from spent-fuel rods heretofore stored under international inspection. These actions were trig- gered by a disagreement over U.S. assertions that North Korea had violated The 18 BRIDGE the Agreed Framework (which had frozen the pluto- negotiate a freeze and eventual elimination of its nuclear nium path to nuclear weapons to end the first crisis in program. A freeze, he explained, means “no manufac- 1994) by clandestinely developing uranium-enrichment turing, no testing, and no transferring of nuclear capabilities as an alternative path to nuclear weapons. weapons.” He continued, “We view the delegation’s vis- Diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear crisis made it to Yongbyon as a way to help contribute to breaking little progress in 2003. The United States insisted on the stalemate and opening up a bright future. We will talking with the North Korean government only in a not play games with you. We have invited you to go to six-party format that included North Korea’s four neigh- Yongbyon. The primary reason for this is to ensure trans- bors, South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan. The inau- parency. This will reduce the assumptions and errors. . . . gural meeting in Beijing in August 2003 made little This visit can have great symbolic significance.” “We want you to take an objective look, and we will leave the conclusions to your side,” he said. “This is why the inclusion of Dr. Hecker is so significant. Hecker’s Scientists and engineers can presence will allow us to tell you everything. This is an extraordinary approval by us. . . . We, too, emphasize play a crucial role in the that you are not making an inspection. But, because we are allowing this visit, we will provide you enough diplomatic process. access to have good knowledge.” Vice Minister Kim explained that U.S. actions in November 2002 had convinced the North Koreans that apparent progress. Our “unofficial” U.S. delegation was adhering to the Agreed Framework was no longer in the first to visit the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon (about their interest, so they terminated the International a two-hour drive north of the capital, Pyongyang) since Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA ) inspections and with- the crisis erupted. Joining our delegation at Prof. Lewis’s drew from the Nonproliferation Treaty. “We decided to invitation was Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, Visiting operate the 5 megawatt electric (MWe) reactor and Scholar at the Brookings Institute and formerly the U.S. resume reprocessing plutonium for peaceful nuclear special envoy for negotiations with the Democratic activities. However, the hostile U.S. policy had been People’s Republic of Korea. In addition, we were joined intensified. So, we changed our purpose and informed by two Senate Foreign Relations Committee experts on the U.S. that the plutonium that was to have been used Asian affairs, W. Keith Luse and Frank S. Januzzi, who for peaceful purposes would now be used for weapons.” had separately planned a trip to North Korea. Vice Minister Kim added that North Korea wants a I told our North Korean hosts that my objective was peaceful resolution of the nuclear crisis and denuclear- to reduce the ambiguities associated with their nuclear ization of the Korean Peninsula. He emphasized that program. I realized that some ambiguities might be North Korea had been very flexible and very patient, deliberate. However, ambiguities often lead to miscal- adding, “I should note that the time that has been lost culations, and in the case of nuclear weapons-related [in dealing with us] has not been beneficial to the U.S. matters, miscalculations can be disastrous. I also stated side. With an additional lapse in time, our nuclear that I believe scientists and engineers can play three arsenal could grow in quality and quantity. The out- important roles in the diplomatic process. First, they come has not been a success for the U.S.” can clarify the issues and thus facilitate a diplomatic These comments provide the context for our invita- solution to the nuclear crisis. Second, if a diplomatic tion to Yongbyon. In public statements, the North solution is found, scientists can help implement the Korean government said fuel rods have been reprocessed solution, such as a freeze or the eventual elimination of to extract plutonium and strengthen the country’s the nuclear program. Third, scientists can play a crucial “deterrent.” Concerned that the United States (and role in verifying a solution. perhaps others) did not believe these statements, they Our principal host, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs may have invited us to provide independent confirma- Kim Gye Gwan, responded positively and explained the tion of their claims. However, Vice Minister Kim also motivation for inviting us to Yongbyon. He indicated expressed a concern about the decision to invite us to that North Korea wanted to resume the six-party talks to Yongbyon. “If you go back to the United States and say SUMMER 2004 19
that the North already has nuclear weapons, this may Russia’s closed nuclear cities, with Soviet-style apart- cause the U.S. to act against us.” ment complexes and monuments to the Great Leader In spite of these reservations, the North Korea gov- and Dear Leader and memorials to the Korean war. ernment arranged our visit to Yongbyon to verify that it The streets and playgrounds were clean and bustling had taken significant steps forward in its nuclear pro- with people. gram since December 2002 and to impress us with its We met our technical host, director Ri Hong Sop at nuclear capabilities. The leadership and specialists at the Guest House for introductions before visiting the Yongbyon were very cooperative within the boundaries technical facilities. The tours were conducted by knowl- of what they were authorized to show us. edgeable chief engineers at each site. I will address the The offer to show us their plutonium “product” four questions I listed above by first summarizing what followed visits to North Korea’s 5 MWe reactor, the we were told by our North Korean hosts (in italics) and spent-fuel pool building, and, on January 8, 2004, the then describing my observations. Radiochemical Laboratory at Yongbyon. The key questions in my mind were: (1) the operating status of Status of the Reactors the 5 MWe reactor and its two larger companions, a The 5 MWe reactor was restarted in February 2003 and is 50 MWe reactor at the Yongbyon site and a 200 MWe now operating smoothly at 100 percent of its rated thermal reactor about 20 km away, that were under con- power. Since shipments of heavy fuel oil from the United States struction at the time of the freeze in 1994; (2) the status were cut off, it is producing electricity and heat for the town. of the 8,000 spent-fuel rods that were removed from the 5 MWe reactor in 1994 and stored in a pool under international safeguards; (3) the extent of the nu- clear weapons program; and (4) the existence of a urani- um-enrichment program. On the drive from Pyongyang to Yongbyon in two Toyota Land Cruisers, our drivers wound their way past young policewomen directing more traffic than I had expected at Pyongyang intersections, then along a well built, all but deserted, four-lane highway to the north (Figure 1). After about an hour, we turned off onto a dirt road toward the city of Yongbyon with its historic South Gate and Great Wall. As we drove along the Nine Dragon (Kuryong) River, we passed many peasants on foot and on bicycles. The nuclear center is located in its own “closed” city, reminiscent of FIGURE 1 Map showing North Korean nuclear facilities. Source: Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The 20 BRIDGE
more than one year from completion now. It is not clear how much of the structure can be salvaged.
Our hosts stated that con- struction of the 200 MWe reactor at Tacheon, 20 km from Yongbyon, also stopped in 1994 and that the govern- ment is currently evaluating what to do with the reactor. Because we did not visit the site, we were not able to assess the current situation. However, it was clear from our discussions that neither of the two reactors under FIGURE 2 American delegation in the control room of the 5 MWe reactor. construction in 1994 could be completed any time soon. Therefore, it will not We confirmed that the 5 MWe reactor is operating be possible for North Korea to increase its plutonium smoothly. We were shown the control room and the output beyond the 6 kg/year being produced in the reactor hall, and, based on our discussions and the dis- 5 MWe reactor. plays in the control room, all indications were that the reactor is now operating smoothly (Figure 2). The steam plume emanating from the cooling tower con- firmed operation. We also note that, in addition to pro- ducing electricity and heat, the reactor is accumulating approximately 6 kilograms (kg) of plutonium annually in natural-uranium fuel rods.
Construction of the 50 MWe reactor had been stopped in 1994, when it was within one year of completion. No work has been done on the reactor since. The government is cur- rently evaluating its options and deciding what to do with the reactor. We drove past the 50 MWe reactor site twice. This reactor is similar in design to the 5 MWe reactor, but with an annual plutonium production capacity roughly 10 times greater. We confirmed that no construction is going on at this site. The reactor building appeared to be in a terrible state of repair. The concrete building structure showed cracks. The steel exhaust tower and other steel equipment on the site were heavily cor- roded. The building was not closed up and resembled a deserted structure. Director Ri expressed his great dismay about the deterioration of the facility during the eight-year freeze on construction. This reactor is much FIGURE 3 American delegation at the storage pool for spent-fuel rods. SUMMER 2004 21
Status of Spent Fuel Rods At the spent-fuel storage building, we were told that At the Radiochemical Laboratory, we were told that all all 8,000 fuel rods had been removed from the storage 8,000 spent-fuel rods had been reprocessed to plutonium pool and reprocessed (to extract the plutonium) in the metal in the Radiochemical Laboratory during one con- Radiochemical Laboratory. tinuous campaign from mid-January 2003 to the end of June The spent-fuel rods had been removed from the 2003. We were told that the campaign had been completed 5 MWe reactor after operation ceased in 1994 as part of and that the facility is not operating now. (It is estimated that the Agreed Framework. The fuel rods were “re-canned” the spent-fuel rods contained 25 to 30 kg of plutonium.) by a U.S. Department of State and Department of In this six-story, industrial-scale reprocessing facility, Energy team (supported by the Pacific Northwest we were conducted through the corridor next to the hot National Laboratory and the Nuclear Assurance cells where reprocessing is done remotely with manip- Corporation) to ensure safe, secure storage before even- ulators (Figure 4). We noted that the North Koreans tual shipment of the plutonium-containing fuel rods out had the requisite facilities, equipment, and technical of North Korea. It was imperative that the spent-fuel expertise for large-scale plutonium reprocessing. They rods be re-canned in an inert atmosphere because their use the standard PUREX (plutonium uranium extrac- initial exposure to water in the pool would be detri- tion) process for separating plutonium from the fission mental to the magnesium alloy cladding. In addition, products and uranium fuel. All of our technical ques- the fuel rods had to be stored under the watchful eyes of tions about reprocessing chemistry were answered very IAEA inspectors to ensure that no fuel rods were competently. Based on our tour, we concluded that the removed clandestinely. However, the inspectors were facility had been operated, but we could not confirm expelled in December 2002. that all of the fuel rods had been reprocessed. Our initial look into the spent-fuel pool showed that the safeguarding equipment previously used by the inspectors was gone (video cameras were still present but were disconnected) (Figure 3). We confirmed that not all of the fuel rods were in the pool because many of the canisters were missing and many were open. When I expressed concern that some of the canisters were still closed, our hosts took the extra- ordinary step of allowing me to pick one at random and have it opened (all done underwater in the pool) to demonstrate that no fuel rods remained, even in the FIGURE 4 American delegation in the Radiochemical Laboratory (reprocessing facility). closed canisters. The empty randomly selected canister and other observations con- Although we were not permitted to see the plutonium glove- vinced me that the spent-fuel pool is empty; the fuel rods box operations, our hosts took the extraordinary step of are gone. It is possible that the 8,000 fuel rods had been showing us the “product” of what they claimed was the most moved to a different storage location, but such storage recent reprocessing campaign. In a conference room fol- would represent a serious health and safety hazard. lowing the tour, a metal case was brought in for us to inspect. The 22 BRIDGE
The box contained a wooden box with two glass jars, one North Korea had strengthened its nuclear “deterrent”— said to contain 150 grams of plutonium oxalate powder and in both quality and quantity—because of recent hostile the other 200 grams of plutonium metal. actions by the United States. Ambassador Li inquired if The glass jars were fitted with screw-on metal lids and what I had seen at Yongbyon had convinced me that were tightly taped with transparent tape. (The pluto- they possessed this deterrent. I explained that nothing nium’s alpha-radiation is easily stopped by the glass jar.) we had seen enabled me to assess whether or not they The green color of the plutonium oxalate powder was possessed a nuclear deterrent, if that meant a nuclear consistent with the color of plutonium oxalate that has device or nuclear weapon. The North Koreans tend to been stored in air for some time. The plutonium metal use the term “deterrence” rather ambiguously. was a thin-walled funnel that was described as scrap I explained that I consider a “deterrent” to have at from a casting from this reprocessing campaign. When least three components: (1) the ability to make pluto- we asked about its density, we were told that it was nium metal; (2) the ability to design and build a nuclear “between 15 and 16 g/cm3 and that it was alloyed” (a device; and (3) the ability to integrate the nuclear common metallurgical practice to retain the ∆-phase of device into a delivery system. Our visit to Yongbyon plutonium to make it easier to cast and shape). When I had shown us that the North Koreans apparently have asked what alloying element had been used, I was told the capability to make plutonium metal. However, I saw that that they could not answer that question, but that nothing and talked to no one that gave me a basis for I know what the United States uses and that theirs is assessing their ability to design a nuclear device. And, the same. The surface and color of the metal were con- of course, we were not able to assess the integration of sistent with moderately oxidized plutonium metal from such a device into a delivery vehicle. a casting. I tried to get a feel for the density and heat During additional discussions, I cautioned that content of the metal by holding the glass jar in my “deterrence” might have worked between the United gloved hand. The very thick glass jar was reasonably States and the Soviet Union, two equally armed nuclear superpowers under rather predictable circumstances. The concept of nuclear deterrence may have little meaning, however, for the U.S.-North Korean situation. The concept of nuclear I asked Ambassador Li in the late morning of the last day of our visit if I could meet individuals who could deterrence may have talk to me in some detail about their “deterrent” in the spirit that I had just described. He said he would try, but little meaning for the that evening he told me that there was not enough time U.S.–North Korean situation. to make such arrangements. Based on the overall technical capabilities we observed, and given that they apparently have suffi- cient plutonium metal, we must assume that the North heavy and slightly warm (importantly, it was definitely Koreans are able to construct at least a primitive not cold as was everything else in this building). With nuclear device. On April 13, 2004, David Sanger the rather primitive tools at hand, I was not able to reported in the New York Times that Pakistani scientist identify definitively the metal or the powder as pluto- A.Q. Khan had told authorities that he was shown nium. The metal was radioactive, however, because a three nuclear weapons during one of his visits to North Geiger counter turned on near the wooden box con- Korea in 1999. However, given Khan’s record of deceit taining the glass jars registered a count. With a few rel- and his sketchy description of the weapons, one must atively simple tests, we could have made a positive treat his statement with great skepticism. identification of the product as plutonium metal, but that was not possible during this visit. The Highly Enriched Uranium Issue We discussed the contentious issue of North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons admission on October 4, 2002, that it had a clandestine During follow-up discussions with Vice Minister Kim highly enriched uranium (HEU) program in violation of and Ambassador Li Gun in Pyongyang, we were told that the 1994 Agreed Framework. There is still a good deal SUMMER 2004 23
of controversy over whether or not the North Koreans banquet so they would be the first to hear them and had admitted having such a program at a meeting with would not be surprised by reports from the United U.S. officials. Mr. Pritchard, who was present at the States. Vice Minister Kim had hoped that I would draw October meeting, told our hosts that regardless of what more definitive conclusions, but he recognized that from may have been said, the HEU issue is very serious and a scientific perspective this would be difficult. He said: that it is now mandatory that we come to a complete, “I understand. I would like you to make this report to verifiable resolution of this issue. In response, Vice Min- your government. Don’t add anything and don’t sub- ister Kim Gye Gwan stated categorically that the North tract anything.” Koreans had no HEU program. Our report provided input to the second round of six- Upon further questioning, Vice Minister Kim stated party talks held on February 25–28 in Beijing. How- that they had chosen the plutonium path to a deterrent ever, the contentious and unresolved HEU issue limited and that North Korea had no facilities, equipment, or progress. Professor Lewis and I hope to return to North scientists dedicated to an HEU program. These state- Korea in the coming months and contribute to a diplo- ments now ring hollow because a few weeks after our matic solution of the nuclear crisis. In the meantime, a visit reports surfaced of A.Q. Khan having clandes- great deal could be done to prepare for the eventual tinely transferred uranium-enrichment technology to complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of the North Korea, Iran, and Libya. Vice Minister Kim con- nuclear program. North Korea’s ability to shut down cluded our discussions with: “However, we can be very safely and securely and eliminate its nuclear program serious when we talk about this. We are fully open to will depend on what is done technically in the nuclear technical talks.” complex in the short term. Finally, our delegation met with other government Conclusion officials regarding economic, military, and human rights I found the remarkable access afforded us to North issues. On behalf of the U.S. National Academies, we Korean nuclear facilities and specialists very encourag- also met with officials of the North Korean Academy of ing. Based on this visit, we were able to answer some Sciences to explore the potential for future cooperative key questions of interest to our government. Upon my activities in the areas of energy and agriculture. If the return home, I presented my findings to several U.S. nuclear crisis can be resolved diplomatically, it will government agencies and to the Senate Committee on be essential that the technical communities help to Foreign Relations. However, before I left Pyongyang, I resolve the chronic energy and food problems faced by gave my hosts a summary of my findings at the closing the people of North Korea. Engineers have a collective responsibility to improve the lives of people around the world.
Engineering for the Developing World
Bernard Amadei
The world is becoming a place in which the human population (which now numbers more than six billion) is becoming more crowded, more con- suming, more polluting, more connected, and in many ways less diverse than at any time in history. There is a growing recognition that humans are alter- ing the Earth’s natural systems at all scales, from local to global, at an unprecedented rate, changes that can only be compared to events that Bernard Amadei is professor in the marked the great transitions in the geobiological eras of Earth’s history Department of Civil, Environmental (Berry, 1988). The question now arises whether it is possible to satisfy the and Architectural Engineering at the needs of a population that is growing exponentially while preserving the carrying capacity of our ecosystems and biological and cultural diversity. A University of Colorado, Boulder. related question is what should be done now and in the near future to ensure that the basic needs for water, sanitation, nutrition, health, safety, and meaningful work are fulfilled for all humans. These commitments were defined as the “Millennium Development Goals” by the United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 2000 (United Nations Development Programme, 2003). In the next two decades, almost two billion additional people are expected to populate the Earth, 95 percent of them in developing or underdeveloped countries (Bartlett, 1998). This growth will create unprecedented demands for energy, food, land, water, transportation, materials, waste disposal, earth moving, health care, environmental cleanup, telecommunication, and SUMMER 2004 25
infrastructure. The role of engineers will be critical in to engineering. This will require: (1) a major paradigm fulfilling those demands at various scales, ranging from shift from control of nature to participation with remote small communities to large urban areas (mega- nature; (2) an awareness of ecosystems, ecosystems ser- cities), mostly in the developing world (United Nations, vices, and the preservation and restoration of natural 1998). If engineers are not ready to fulfill such demands, capital; and (3) a new mindset of the mutual enhance- who will? As George Bugliarello (1999) has stated, the ment of nature and humans that embraces the prin- emergence of large urban areas is likely to affect the ciples of sustainable development, renewable resources future prosperity and stability of the entire world. Today, management, appropriate technology, natural capital- it is estimated that between 835 million and 2 billion ism (Hawken et al., 1999), biomimicry (Benyus, 1997), people live in some type of city slum and that the urban biosoma (Bugliarello, 2000), and systems thinking share of the world’s extreme poverty is about 25 percent (Meadows, 1997). (United Nations, 2001). Considering the problems facing our planet today and the problems expected to arise in the first half of the twenty-first century, the engineering profession Engineers must adopt a must revisit its mindset and adopt a new mission state- ment—to contribute to the building of a more sustain- new attitude toward natural able, stable, and equitable world. As Maurice Strong, and cultural systems. Secretary General of the 1992 United Nations Con- ference on Environment and Development, said, “Sus- tainable development will be impossible without the full input by the engineering profession.” For that to In addition, engineering educators must take a closer occur, engineers must adopt a completely different atti- look at how engineering students are being prepared to tude toward natural and cultural systems and reconsider enter the “real world.” Current graduates will be called interactions between engineering disciplines and non- upon to make decisions in a socio-geo-political environ- technical fields. ment quite different from that of today. In their lifetimes, For the past 150 years, engineering practice has been engineering students now attending college can expect to based on a paradigm of controlling nature rather than see an increase in world population from 6 to 9 or 10 bil- cooperating with nature. In the control-of-nature para- lion people, major global warming phenomena, and digm, humans and the natural world are divided, and major losses in biological and cultural diversity on Earth. humans adopt an oppositional, manipulative stance Whether colleges and universities are doing enough toward nature. Despite this reductionistic view of nat- proactively to teach students what they need to know to ural systems, this approach led to remarkable engineering operate in a future environment is an open question (Orr, achievements during the nineteenth and especially 1998). Clearly, engineers must complement their tech- twentieth centuries. For instance, civil and environ- nical and analytical capabilities with a broad under- mental engineers have played a critical role in improving standing of so-called “soft” issues that are nontechnical. the condition of humankind on Earth by improving san- Experience has shown that social, environmental, eco- itation, developing water resources, and developing nomic, cultural, and ethical aspects of a project are often transportation systems. Ironically, these successes have more important than the technical aspects. unintentionally contributed to current problems by An issue of equal importance is the education of engi- enabling population growth (Roberts, 1997). Most engi- neers interested in addressing problems specific to neering achievements of the past were developed with- developing communities. These include water provi- out consideration for their social, economic, and sioning and purification, sanitation, power production, environmental impacts on natural systems. Not much shelter, site planning, infrastructure, food production attention was paid to minimizing the risk and scale of and distribution, and communication, among many unplanned or undesirable perturbations in natural sys- others. Such problems are not usually addressed in engi- tems associated with engineering systems. neering curricula in the United States, however. Thus, As we enter the twenty-first century, we must embark our engineers are not educated to address the needs of on a worldwide transition to a more holistic approach the most destitute people on our planet, many of them The 26 BRIDGE living in industrialized countries. This is unfortunate, leadership of the U.S. engineering profession as we enter because an estimated 20 percent of the world’s popula- the twenty-first century. tion lacks clean water, 40 percent lacks adequate sani- tation, and 20 percent lacks adequate housing. Earth Systems Engineering Furthermore, engineers will be critical to addressing In the past five years, a new, promising concept called the complex problems associated with refugees, displaced earth systems engineering (ESE) has emerged as an populations, and the large-scale movement of popula- alternative to the usual way engineering has looked at tions worldwide resulting from political conflicts, the world. ESE acknowledges the complexity of world famine, shortages of land, and natural hazards. Some of problems and encourages the use of more holistic and these problems have been brought back to our awareness systemic tools to address interactions between the since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The engineer’s anthrosphere (i.e., the part of the environment made role is critical to the relief work provided by host gov- and modified by humans and used for their activities) ernments and humanitarian organizations. According and natural and cultural systems. to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.8 billion In 1998, Allenby (1998) introduced the concept of people (30 percent of the world’s population) currently ESE with reference to industrial ecology. The latter is live in conflict zones, in transition, or in situations of defined as “the multidisciplinary study of industrial permanent instability. systems and economic activities, and their links to It is clear that engineering education needs to be fundamental natural systems” (Allenby, 1999). First changed (or even reinvented) to address the challenges proposed in Japan in 1970, industrial ecology was associated with these global problems. There is still a brought to the attention of people in the United States large disconnect between what is expected of young in the late 1980s and 1990s through several studies by engineers in engineering firms, the magnitude of the the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on the problems in our global economy, ABET 2000 engi- relationship between engineering and ecological sys- neering criteria (Criteria 3 and 4 for instance), and the tems. Industrial ecology was also the subject of two limited skills and tools traditionally taught in engi- Gordon Conferences in 1998 and 2000 at Colby- neering programs in U.S. universities. Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire. The success of industrial ecology, along with the rec- ommendations in Our Common Journey, a report pre- pared by the National Research Council Board on Engineering education Sustainable Development (NRC, 1999), motivated NAE to organize a one-day meeting on ESE on October must address the 24, 2000 (NAE, 2002). In that meeting, and in the exploratory workshop that preceded it, the following challenges associated with working definition of ESE was adopted: global problems. ESE is a multidisciplinary (engineering, science, social science, and governance) process of solution develop- ment that takes a holistic view of natural and human system interactions. The goal of ESE is to better under- Engineers of the future must be trained to make intel- stand complex, nonlinear systems of global importance ligent decisions that protect and enhance the quality and to develop the tools necessary to implement that of life on Earth rather than endangering it. They must understanding. also make decisions in a professional environment in which they will have to interact with people from both ESE acknowledges that, so far, humans have demon- technical and nontechnical disciplines. Preparing strated a limited understanding of the dynamic inter- engineers to become facilitators of sustainable develop- actions between natural and human (non-natural) ment, appropriate technology, and social and economic systems. This is partly attributable to the complexity changes is one of the greatest challenges faced by of the problems at stake. On one hand, natural sys- the engineering profession today. Meeting that chal- tems are traditionally nonlinear, chaotic, and open dis- lenge may provide a unique opportunity for renewing sipative systems characterized by interconnectedness SUMMER 2004 27
and self-organization. Small changes in parts of • inspires engineers to embrace the principles of sus- natural systems can have a big impact on their response tainable development, renewable resources manage- to disturbances. On the other hand, human (anthro- ment, appropriate technology, and systems thinking pogenic) systems are based on a more predictable •prepares engineers for social, economic, and environ- Cartesian mindset. mental stewardships Understanding the relationship between natural and non-natural systems remains a challenge. We do not Since 2001, ESE has been endorsed as a major ini- yet have the tools and metrics to comprehend and tiative in the College of Engineering at the University quantify complex systems and their interactions. of Colorado at Boulder. An example of the application According to Dietrich Dörner (1996), this is one of of ESE to engineering for the developing world is pre- the many reasons technology often fails. Other reasons sented below. cited by Dörner include the slowness of human think- ing in absorbing new material and human self- protection through control. According to Dörner: “We have been turned loose in the industrial age We do not have the tools or equipped with the brain of prehistoric times.” In 2001, I co-organized a three-day workshop at the metrics to quantify complex University of Colorado at Boulder on ESE sponsored by systems and their interactions. the National Science Foundation. The workshop brought together about 90 industry, government, and university participants from engineering, physical sci- ences, biological sciences, and social sciences. The Engineering for Developing Communities overall goals of the workshop were: (1) to provide an Engineering schools in the United States do not usu- intellectual framework for interdisciplinary exchange; ally address the needs of the most destitute people on (2) to make recommendations for changes to engi- our planet, many of them living in industrialized coun- neering education, research, and practice that would tries (including the United States). This is unfortunate further the understanding of the interactions between because the needs of the developing world for engi- natural and non-natural systems at multiple scales, from neering solutions are likely to increase as population local to regional and global; and (3) to create a plan of grows. How can engineers in the industrialized world action to implement the recommendations. More contribute to the relief of the hunger, exploitation, specifically, the workshop addressed the interactions of injustice, and pain of people trying to survive day by natural systems with the built environment. The work- day? How can they contribute to meeting the United shop participants unanimously adopted the following Nations “Millennium Development Goals” (United definition of the “engineer of the future”: Nations Development Programme, 2003; World Bank, 2003; World Federation of Engineering Organizations, The engineer of the future applies scientific analysis and 2002)? Clearly, we need to train a new generation of holistic synthesis to develop sustainable solutions that engineers to meet the challenges and needs of the devel- integrate social, environmental, cultural, and econom- oping world. ic systems. The College of Engineering at the University of Col- The workshop participants also recommended the orado at Boulder has started a new program called the adoption of a transformative model of engineering edu- Engineering for Developing Communities (EDC) Pro- cation and practice for the twenty-first century that gram (www.edc-cu.org). The overall mission of the pro- (University of Colorado, 2001): gram is to educate globally responsible students who can offer sustainable, appropriate technology solutions to • unleashes the human mind and spirit for creativity the endemic problems of developing communities and compassion worldwide (including the United States). • expands engineers’ professional and personal com- The proposed interdisciplinary program, which mitments to include both technical and nontechnical involves both engineering and nonengineering disci- disciplines plines, is offered to engineering students interested in The 28 BRIDGE community service and international development. The work in Belize led to the creation of a nonprofit The program is being developed in partnership with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, called Engineers wide range of academic and nonacademic groups in the Without Borders™-USA (www.ewb-usa.org). The first United States and developing countries to address a chapter was formed at the University of Colorado at wide range of issues, such as water provisioning and Boulder in late fall 2001. Three years later, EWB-USA purification, sanitation, health, power production, shel- has 74 student and professional chapters across the ter, site planning, infrastructure, food production and United States and involves 950 engineering students, distribution, communication, and jobs and capital for faculty, and professional engineers. developing communities, including villages, and refugee In general, the purposes of EWB-USA are (1) to help settlements. Finally, the three components of the pro- disadvantaged communities improve their quality of life gram are: outreach and service; research and develop- through implementation of environmentally and eco- ment; and education. nomically sustainable engineering projects, and (2) to develop internationally responsible engineering stu- Outreach and Service dents. Projects are initiated by, and completed with, The outreach and service component of the EDC contributions from the host communities, which are Program was launched in fall 2001 with a national ini- then trained to operate the systems without external tiative, Engineers Without Borders. This new activity assistance. The projects are carried out by groups of engi- was created as a follow-up to fieldwork in May 2001, neering students under the supervision of professional when I took 10 undergraduate students from the Depart- engineers and faculty. The students select a project and ment of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engi- go through all phases of conceptual design, analysis, and neering to help with the construction of a water construction during the school year; implementation is distribution system for a small Mayan village in south- done during academic breaks and summer months. ern Belize (Figure 1). EWB-USA has about 50 projects in 22 different coun- tries. In 2003 alone, more than 50 students from U.S. schools were involved in projects in Mali, Mauri- tania, Senegal, Thailand, Haiti, Belize, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and Peru (Figure 2). The EWB-USA mod- el of education goes beyond traditional service-learning concepts and models in engineering (Tsang, 2000). By involving students in all steps of the projects and through experiential learning, students become more aware of the social, economic, environmental, political, ethical, and cultural impacts of engineering projects. EWB-USA is a member of Engineers Without Borders-International (www.ewb-international.org), a network of like-minded humanitarian organizations that transcends national borders. As of April 2004, the EWB-International network includes 24 groups around the world.
Research and Development The field work conducted by EWB-USA has revealed an urgent need for appropriate technologies specific to the developing world. An “appropriate technology” is usually characterized as small scale, energy efficient, environmentally sound, labor-intensive, and controlled by the local community. It must be simple enough to be FIGURE 1 Professor Amadei (center) with students and local participants in a water- maintained by the people who use it. In short, it must distribution project in Belize. match the user and the need in complexity and scale SUMMER 2004 29
and must be designed to foster self-reliance, cooper- ation, and responsibility (Hazeltine and Bull, 1999; Schumacher, 1989). Because appropriate tech- nology is often perceived as “low tech” and unimportant, it is not usually addressed in engineering education or university research. Studies by the World Bank and the United Nations have shown, however, that appro- priate technology is critical to bringing more than three billion people out of poverty. To respond to the need FIGURE 2 Professor Amadei with village children in Mali. for research and develop- ment in appropriate tech- nology, a Center for Appropriate and Sustainable an opportunity for undergraduate students in engi- Technology (CU-CAST) is under development in the neering to enroll in a regular program of study in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado at College of Engineering and, at the same time, take some Boulder. The center has three goals: (1) to provide a of their socio-humanities electives, technical electives, university research environment where teams of under- and independent study classes in courses emphasizing graduate and graduate students can work under the engineering for developing communities. supervision of faculty and professional engineers; (2) to The success of EWB convinced me that we need new foster the innovation, development, and testing of tech- engineering courses to provide students with better nologies that can be used to address water, sanitation, tools and skills for work in the developing world. energy, shelter, and health issues in the developing In spring 2002, I introduced Sustainability and the world; and (3) to provide services in database develop- Built Environment, a three-credit course for under- ment and maintenance; the testing and improvement of graduate and graduate students that presents the fun- existing technologies; technology transfer; and educa- damental concepts of sustainability and sustainable tion and training. Examples of ongoing studies by stu- development, with the emphasis on understanding nat- dents and faculty include: prototype rope pumps for ural systems, interactions between the built environ- water wells and ram pumps; pesticide removal during ment and natural systems, and the technical and basic treatment of drinking water; attenuation of nontechnical issues that influence engineering deci- pathogens from latrines to nearby water sources; phyto- sions. (Information about this course can be found at remediation affects on wastewater treatment; thin-shell http://ceae.colorado.edu/~amadei/CVEN4838.) acrylic concrete roofing; solar pasteurization, cooling, In fall 2002, I introduced a design course for under- heating, cooking, and pumping; production of biofuel graduates (engineering freshmen) that emphasizes and biomass; and earthenware cooling techniques for appropriate technology. Since 2002, the course has storage of food and vaccines. been offered twice through the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory (http://itll.colorado.edu). The Education course gives students a thorough understanding of some The EDC Program brings together courses in engi- of the most common and important technologies being neering, sustainability, appropriate technology, renew- introduced in small-scale community developments. able energy, international education and development, Students are asked to create, design, and construct business, and various fields of humanities and provides appropriate technological systems, processes, and The 30 BRIDGE devices for a variety of settings associated with the The new program offers many opportunities for developing world. Examples include: production of practicing engineers to become involved in engi- biodiesel; production of biomass from bananas; gen- neering education through projects in developing com- eration of electricity using water turbines; heating of munities around the world (including the United water for refugee camps; water filtration systems; solar- States). Finally, it provides an innovative way to edu- powered refrigeration; and solar-powered water pump- cate young engineers interested in addressing the prob- ing. (Information about these projects can be found at lems of developing countries and communities. It is www.edc-cu.org/geen1400.htm.) clear that engineers of the twenty-first century are The educational component of the EDC Program called upon to make critical contributions to peace and also includes continuing education and training for security in our increasingly challenged world. U.S. engineers and foreign personnel in international development and capacity building. The EDC Program References sponsors and organizes workshops and conferences, Allenby, B. 1998. Earth systems engineering: the role of bringing world experts and leaders to the University of industrial ecology in an engineered world. Journal of Indus- Colorado at Boulder for discussions and sharing of trial Ecology 2(3): 73–93. research and applications in areas dealing with the Allenby, B. 1999. Industrial Ecology: Policy Framework and developing world. For instance, last year, the EDC Pro- Implementation. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. gram co-organized Sustainable Resources 2003: Solu- Bartlett, A.A. 1998. Reflections on sustainability, population tions to World Poverty, which was attended by about growth and the environment. Renewable Resources Jour- 800 participants from 44 different countries. (Informa- nal 15(4): 6–22. tion about that conference and the forthcoming Sus- Benyus, J.M. 1997. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by tainable Resources 2004 conference can be found at Nature. New York: Quill, William Morrow. www.sustainableresources.org.) Berry, T. 1988. The Dream of the Earth. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. Conclusions Bugliarello, G. 1999. Megacities and the developing world. Creating a sustainable world that provides a safe, The Bridge 29(4): 19–26. secure, healthy, productive, and sustainable life for all Bugliarello, G. 2000. Biosoma: the synthesis of biology, peoples should be a priority for the engineering profes- machines and society. Bulletin of Science, Technology sion. Engineers have an obligation to meet the basic and Society 20(6): 452–464. needs of all humans for water, sanitation, food, health, Dörner, D. 1996. The Logic of Failure. Cambridge, Mass.: and energy, as well as to protect cultural and natural Perseus Publishing. diversity. Improving the lives of the five billion people Hawken, P., A. Lovins, and L.H. Lovins. 1999. Natural Cap- whose main concern is staying alive each day is no italism. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. longer an option; it is an obligation. Educating engi- Hazeltine, B., and C. Bull. 1999. Appropriate Technology: neers to become facilitators of sustainable development, Tools, Choices and Implications. San Diego, Calif.: Aca- appropriate technology, and social and economic demic Press. changes represents one of the greatest challenges faced Meadows, D. 1997. Places to Intervene in a System. Whole by the engineering profession today. Meeting that chal- Earth 91(Winter): 78–84. lenge may provide a unique opportunity for renewing NAE (National Academy of Engineering). 2002. Engineering the leadership of the U.S. engineering profession as we and Environmental Challenges: Technical Symposium on enter the twenty-first century. Earth Systems Engineering. Washington, D.C.: National The EDC Program described in this paper provides a Academies Press. unique opportunity to promote engineering, a discipline NRC (National Research Council). 1999. Our Common that has traditionally been taken for granted by govern- Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability. Washington, ment agencies and political groups. It also provides D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999. higher visibility to a profession that will certainly play a Orr, D. 1998. Transformation or Irrelevance: The Challenge critical role in creating structures and technologies to of Academic Planning for Environmental Education in the sustain a decent quality of life for current and future gen- 21st Century. Pp. 17–35 in Academic Planning in College erations, especially in the developing world. and University Environmental Programs: Proceedings of SUMMER 2004 31
the 1998 Sanibel Symposium, P.B. Corcoran, J.L. Elder, and United Nations Development Programme. 2003. Millen- R. Tehen, eds. Washington, D.C.: North American Asso- nium Development Goals: A Compact Among Nations to ciation for Environmental Education. Also available End Human Poverty. Human Development Report, 2003. online at
NAE News and Notes
NAE Newsmakers
R. Byron Bird was awarded with funding provided by Intel Cor- the 2004 Benjamin Franklin Medal Knighthood by Queen Beatrix of poration. The prize is presented by in Electrical Engineering for his the Netherlands in recognition the Association for Computing pioneering work on the properties of 50 years of work “on behalf Machinery (ACM.) of composite piezoelectric materials of the Dutch culture.” Sir Robert Leonard J. Koch is one of three for use as transducers, sensors, Byron Bird was appointed by recipients of the 2004 Global En- and actuators. her order of 25 September ergy International Prize. Russian James S. Thorp, Charles N. Mel- No. 03.003913 as Knight in the Federation President Vladimir Putin lowes Professor in Engineering at Order of Oranja Nassau. will present the $900,000 prize to be Cornell University, will become the Two NAE members were elected shared by the three scientists in June head of Virginia Tech’s Bradley fellows of the American Association 2004. Mr. Koch is being recognized Department of Electrical and Com- for the Advancement of Science for fundamental research of thermo- puter Engineering effective July 1, (AAAS). Russell D. Dupuis and physical properties of substances at 2004. He plans to continue the William J. Koros were among extremely high temperatures. department’s leadership in existing 384 scientists and engineers elected Gerald Nadler, president of the areas and focus on selected emerg- to the AAAS. Center for Breakthrough Thinking ing areas, such as nanoscience, Farouk El-Baz received the Incorporated, an international firm complex systems, and energy and Desert Research Institute’s top of consulting affiliates, and IBM environment. Dr. Thorp was the annual research award on March 9, Chair Emeritus in Engineering Man- director of the School of Electrical 2004. The silver Nevada Medal and agement at the University of South- Engineering at Cornell University $20,000 were presented to Dr. El- ern California, is coauthor (with from 1994 to 2001. Baz for his research and pioneering William J. Chandon) of Smart Ques- Richard N. Wright, retired direc- use of satellite images to characterize tions: Learn to Ask the Right Questions tor, Building and Fire Research arid landforms worldwide. for Powerful Results (Jossey-Bass). Laboratory, National Institute of Yuan-Cheng Fung received the The authors present a radical new Standards and Technology, received Lifetime Achievement Award at the framework for problem solving based the International Award from the 2004 Chinese Institute of Engineers on holistic thinking. The book Japan Society of Civil Engineers Asian American Engineer of the includes separate chapters on each in Tokyo on May 28, 2004. Dr. Year Award Banquet in Santa Clara, phase of creating solutions, as well as Wright, U.S. chairman of the U.S.- California. Dr. Fung was honored for case studies and guidelines. Japan Panel on Wind and Seismic initiating a new direction in bio- Robert M. Nerem received the Effects from 1983 to 1999, was hon- engineering; he also coined the term Pierre Galletti Award from the ored for his contributions to tech- “tissue engineering.” American Institute of Medical and nological exchange between Japan Alan Kay has been named the Biological Engineering. Dr. Nerem and the United States and to the winner of the 2003 Turing Award, was recognized for his efforts to raise advancement of wind and seismic considered the “Nobel prize of public awareness of medical and design technologies in both coun- computing,” for leading the team biological engineering and tech- tries. The award is given annually. that invented Smalltalk, an influ- nical education. On Wednesday, May 12, 2004, the ential programming language that On April 8, 2004, a symposium American Society of Civil Engineers used object-oriented concepts, and was held at Drexel University, presented the Outstanding Projects for fundamental contributions to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in recog- and Leaders (OPAL) Award to personal computing. The Turing nition of Robert E. Newnham. Pro- NAE members George J. Tamaro, Award carries a $100,000 prize, fessor Newnham was also awarded partner, Mueser Rutledge Consulting SUMMER 2004 33
Engineers (for design); G. Wayne engineering that have contributed to Jacob N. Israelachvili, Ronald L. Clough, president, Georgia Institute the health, safety, and economy of Rivest, and Alan M. Title. NAE of Technology (for education); and the nation and the world. Foreign Associate Jacob Ziv was Harl P. Aldrich Jr., chairman emer- The following NAE members elected a Foreign Associate of the itus (retired), Haley & Aldrich, Inc. were elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences. (for management). OPALs recog- National Academy of Sciences on nize lifetime achievements in civil April 20, 2004: Stephen H. Davis,
NAE Elects Officers and Councillors
Craig R. Barrett George M.C. Fisher William F. Ballhaus Jr.
Robert R. Beebe M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell Robert M. Nerem
In the spring 2004 Officers and Arizona, will be the eighth NAE Councillors Election by the active chair. The chair works with the members of NAE, a new chair was NAE president to promote NAE elected, and the home secretary and policies to the engineering commu- three members were re-elected to nity and the public. Barrett joined the NAE Council. An additional Intel in 1974 as a technology devel- councillor was subsequently chosen opment manager. He was named a by vote of the Council, in accor- vice president of the corporation in dance with the NAE bylaws. All 1984 and was promoted to senior terms begin July 1, 2004. vice president in 1987 and execu- Elected for a two-year term, Craig tive vice president in 1990. Barrett Lawrence T. Papay R. Barrett, chief executive officer was elected to the Intel Board of (CEO), Intel Corporation, Chandler, Directors in 1992 and was named The 34 BRIDGE chief operating officer in 1993. He research at Ford Motor Company. disciplines on the council is became Intel’s fourth president in As home secretary, Dr. Compton representative of the NAE mem- May 1997 and CEO in 1998. Barrett, oversees membership activities. bership. The fourth councillor is who was elected to NAE in 1994, Councillors William F. Ballhaus Lawrence T. Papay, sector vice succeeds George M.C. Fisher, Jr., president, Aerospace Corpora- president, Science Applications retired chair and CEO, Eastman tion, Los Angeles; Robert R. Beebe, International Corporation, San Kodak Company. Dr. Fisher has retired senior vice president, Home- Diego, California. been NAE chair since 2000; his stake Mining Company, Tucson, On June 30, 2004, Robert M. term will end on June 30. Arizona; and M. Elisabeth Paté- Nerem, Parker H. Petit Professor and W. Dale Compton, Lillian M. Cornell, professor and chair, director, Institute for Bioengineering Gilbreth Distinguished Professor of Department of Management Sci- and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Industrial Engineering, Purdue Uni- ence and Engineering, Stanford Technology, will complete six years versity, West Lafayette, Indiana, will University, were re-elected to sec- of service as councillor, the maxi- serve a second four-year term as ond three-year terms. mum allowed under the bylaws. NAE’s home secretary. Before join- In accordance with NAE bylaws, Drs. Nerem and Fisher were recog- ing the Purdue faculty, Compton a fourth councillor was chosen nized for their distinguished service spent two years at NAE as the first by vote of the NAE Council at and contributions at a luncheon senior fellow (1986–1988). Prior to its May meeting to ensure that attended by other council members that he was vice president of the distribution of engineering and NAE staff on May 14.
Draper and Gordon Prize Recipients Honored
These pioneers, along with many other contributors, designed and built the first prototypes of the Alto personal computer (PC), which com- bined groundbreaking features, such as a built-in bit-mapped display, the mouse, and the Ethernet network interface. Today these features are standard, but they had never before been combined in a desktop-sized machine linked to other personal machines through a fast network. Alan C. Kay, an NAE member since 1997, one of the earliest mem- (L to R) George M.C. Fisher, chair, NAE; Vince Vitto, president and CEO, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory; Kurt Taylor bers of Xerox PARC (Palo Alto (accepting the prize on his father’s behalf); Charles P. Thacker; Alan C. Kay; Butler W. Lampson; Aaron Cohen, chair, Research Center), was the inventor 2004 Draper Prize Committee; and Wm. A. Wulf, president, NAE. of Smalltalk—the first dynamic, object-oriented language, develop- NAE President Wm. A. Wulf Alan C. Kay, Butler W. Lampson, ment, and operating system—which hosted the NAE Awards Dinner and Robert W. Taylor, and Charles P. originated the overlapping window Presentation Ceremony on February Thacker received the Charles Stark and icons graphical user interface. 20 to honor the 2004 recipients of Draper Prize “for the vision, con- Dr. Kay earned a B.A. in mathe- the Charles Stark Draper Prize and ception, and development of the matics and molecular biology from the Bernard M. Gordon Prize. The principles for, and their effective the University of Colorado and an formal dinner was held at historic integration in, the world’s first prac- M.S. and Ph.D. in computer sciences Union Station in Washington, D.C. tical networked personal computers.” from the University of Utah. He is SUMMER 2004 35
Kay, Butler Lampson, and Charles Thacker, in addition to the other talented computer researchers who came after them at Xerox PARC. An acknowledged leader at as- sembling teams of outstanding researchers, suggesting avenues of exploration, and motivating his col- leagues to push the technological envelope, Mr. Taylor was instru- mental in PARC’s exceptional record of innovation and accom- plishment. Before Xerox PARC, Mr. Taylor was director of the Infor- (L to R) Alan C. Kay, Kurt Taylor (accepting the prize on his father’s behalf), Charles P. Thacker, and Butler W. Lampson. mation Processing Techniques Office of ARPA, U.S. Department a member of many organizations, electrical engineering and computer of Defense, where he supported key including the American Academy sciences from the University of Cal- research underlying much of the of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) and ifornia at Berkeley. He is a member fundamental technology in today’s the Royal Society of the Arts, and of the AAAS and the Association computer industry. During his is currently a Senior Fellow at of Computing Machinery (ACM) tenure at ARPA, he initiated a pro- the Hewlett-Packard Company, and is currently a Distinguished ject to build the first packet net- an adjunct professor at the Uni- Engineer at Microsoft Research work, the ARPAnet, the direct versity of California-Los Angeles, working on security, fault tolerance, ancestor of today’s Internet. Mr. and a visiting professor at Kyoto and user interfaces. Taylor earned his B.A. and M.S. University, Japan. Robert W. Taylor, an NAE mem- from the University of Texas. He Butler W. Lampson, an NAE ber since 1991, the founder and was awarded the National Medal of member since 1984, was the Alto manager of the Computer Science Technology in 1999. system architect at Xerox PARC. Laboratory at Xerox PARC, recruited Charles P. Thacker, an NAE He designed the operating system fellow Draper Prize recipients Alan member since 1994, was responsible for the machine and was later instrumental in adding further capabilities, most notably the laser printer. His innovations at Xerox PARC included the development of techniques for the first success- ful “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” (WYSIWYG) text editor. In addi- tion, he was one of the designers of the SDS 940 time-sharing sys- tem, the Xerox 9700 laser printer, two-phase commit protocols, the Autonet LAN, the simple distrib- uted security infrastructure (SDSI) system for network security, Microsoft Tablet PC software, and several programming languages. Dr. Lampson received a B.A. from (L to R) Wm. A. Wulf, president, NAE; Frank S. Barnes, Gordon Prize recipient; Alice Agogino, chair, 2004 Gordon Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Prize Committee; and George M.C. Fisher, chair, NAE. The 36 BRIDGE
backgrounds in all locations and teaches them the complete engi- neering, business, and policy disci- plines that collectively drive the telecommunications industry. An NAE member since 2001, Dr. Barnes was a cofounder of ITP, which was developed a decade before the divestiture of the Bell Sys- tem, in anticipation of the need for broad education in the telecom- munications industry as it shifted from a monopoly to a competitive industry. Since the inception of ITP, Dr. Barnes has continued to expand and modify it. The program began (L to R) George M.C. Fisher, chair, NAE; Frank S. Barnes, Gordon Prize recipient; Bernard M. Gordon, chair, Analogic using distance education techniques Corporation; and Wm. A. Wulf, president, NAE. in 1983 and now offers master’s degrees to students around the for engineering the hardware for of California at Berkeley and is a world. In addition, the curriculum Alto; he wrote much of its micro- Distinguished Alumnus of the Com- has been expanded to include a com- code and can be credited, together puter Science Department at the plex array of networking and com- with Butler Lampson, for the superb University of California. He is also a munications technologies driven by economy of the Alto design. Mr. member of many organizations, market-based financing and regula- Thacker constructed the first batch including the Institute of Electrical tion. Dr. Barnes has also taught opti- of Altos himself and oversaw the and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) cal electronics, bioelectromagnetics, production of the rest. In addition, and ACM. and optical communications. he devised its packaging. Over the The Bernard M. Gordon Prize Dr. Barnes received his B.S. in years, Mr. Thacker has led teams was awarded to Dr. Frank S. Barnes electrical engineering from Prince- that designed a number of innova- of the University of Colorado at ton University and his M.S., engi- tive networks and computer systems, Boulder “for pioneering an Interdis- neer, and Ph.D. from Stanford including the first multiprocessor ciplinary Telecommunications Pro- University. He is a member of the personal workstation, the first system gram (ITP) that produces leaders American Society of Engineering to use the DEC Alpha chip, the who bridge engineering, social sci- Education (ASEE) and IEEE and is Autonet and AN2 local area net- ences, and public policy.” ITP is an still working on bringing ITP to its works, and the Microsoft Tablet PC. innovative educational vision that full potential at the University of He has a B.A. from the University brings together students from all Colorado at Boulder.
The Power of the Context
Remarks by Alan C. Kay, NAE mem- When Bill Wulf called to say that the tenth time the prize has been ber and Senior Fellow, Hewlett the four of us had been awarded this awarded, it seems unbelievable that Packard Laboratories, upon being year’s Draper Prize, I was floored, we have been chosen. Of course, as awarded—with Robert Taylor, Butler because the possibility had not every engineer, mathematician, and Lampson, and Charles Thacker—the entered my mind. Given the amaz- scientist—every artist—knows, the Charles Stark Draper Prize of the ing feats of engineering in the twen- greatest privilege is being able to do National Academy of Engineering, tieth century, the stature of previous the work, and the greatest joy is February 24, 2004. laureates, and the fact that this is just turning yearnings into reality. So we SUMMER 2004 37
were rewarded abundantly many ARPA interactive-computing com- advisor, mentor, and friend, had the years ago when we created a new munity and the cosmic visions of amazing ability to act as though his genre of practical personal comput- Licklider, Taylor, Engelbart, Clark, graduate students were incredible ing. Three people were indispens- Evans, Shaw, Ellis, and many others, thinkers. Only fools ever let him able to Xerox PARC’s success— about “man-computer symbiosis and find out otherwise! I really do owe Bob Taylor, Butler Lampson, and intergalactic networks.” my career to Dave, and I learned Chuck Thacker—and receiving this My interest in children’s educa- from him most of what I think is award with them is truly an incred- tion came from a visit to Seymour important. Therefore, my part of ible honor. Their special abilities, Papert’s early classroom experiments this prize is dedicated to him. (Is it good will, and tolerance made my with LOGO. Adding in Marshall just coincidence that Dave was also contributions possible. McLuhan led me to make an analogy Butler Lampson’s advisor when they Because this award is about a to the history of printed books— were both at Berkeley?) whole genre of computing, it is hence the idea of a notebook-sized, Good will and the assumption important that we acknowledge and wireless-networked “personal com- that graduate students were “world- thank the larger group of several puter for children of all ages.” The class researchers who didn’t have dozen PARC researchers who helped special quality of computers is their Ph.D.s yet” was the general rule conceive the dreams, build them, ability to simulate arbitrary descrip- throughout the ARPA community. and make them work. This was espe- tions rapidly, and the real computer If one made a pilgrimage to Doug cially true in our Learning Research revolution will not take place until Engelbart’s diggings in Menlo Park, Group. I particularly want to thank children learn to read, write, argue, Bill English, the co-inventor of the Dan Ingalls and Adele Goldberg, my and think in this powerful new way. mouse, would drop what he was closest colleagues at PARC, for help- The romance of that idea has driven doing to show visiting junior ing realize our dreams. all of my subsequent research. researchers everything. Later at I owe more intellectual debts All of this was catalyzed when I PARC, Bill went completely out of than most because I have long been was immersed in the ARPA dream his way to help me set up my an enthusiastic appreciator of great at the University of Utah—what I research group. On our first visit to ideas in many genres—ranging from call “the power of the context.” the Lincoln Labs ARPA project, we graphic, musical, and theatrical arts One of the greatest works of art students were greeted by the prin- to mathematics, science, and engi- during that fruitful period of cipal investigator Bert Sutherland, neering. I got a lot of early encour- ARPA/PARC research in the 1960s who couldn’t have been happier to agement from my artistic and and 1970s was the almost invisible see us or more interested in showing musical mother and my scientist context and community that cat- us around. Not too many years later father. In fact, my best insights have alyzed the energies of many Bert was my lab manager at Xerox come from odd takes on ideas researchers, making them better PARC. A visit to Carnegie Mellon around me—more like rotations of dreamers and thinkers. That it was University in those days led to Bill point of view than incremental a great work of art is confirmed by Wulf, a terrific systems designer who progressions. For example, many of the world-changing results that loved not only his own students but the strongest aspects of my object- followed so swiftly. That it was also students from elsewhere. oriented ideas are based on philos- almost invisible, in spite of its (What ever happened to that guy?) ophy, mathematics, biology, and tremendous success, is revealed by A few simple principles adminis- computing in the early 1960s. the disheartening fact that, as far as tered with considerable purity made I got my start in personal comput- I’m aware, no government or com- all of this work. It is no exaggera- ing with my colleague and friend, the pany is doing edge-of-the-art tion to say that ARPA/PARC had wonderful and generous Ed Cheadle, research based on these principles. visions rather than goals and funded who got me deeply involved in build- Of course, I would like to be shown people rather than projects. The ing “a little desk-top machine”—the that I’m wrong on this last point. vision was of interactive computing FLEX machine—that we called a When I think of ARPA/PARC, I as a complementary intellectual “personal computer.” Many later think first of good will, even before partner for people pervasively ideas were adapted from the lively brilliant people. Dave Evans, my networked worldwide. Because we The 38 BRIDGE did not try to derive specific goals, servers, etc.—and software—includ- ago to create a new genre of personal ARPA/PARC was able to fund dif- ing operating systems, programming computing. Eventually 1,500 Altos ferent, sometimes opposing, points languages, and development systems, appeared that were Ethernetworked of view. For example, Engelbart and productivity tools, etc.—were built to each other, laser printers, file McCarthy had extremely different completely in house by the same few servers, and the ARPAnet and were ways of thinking about the ARPA dozen researchers. Living Lab, distributed to many kinds of end- dream, but ideas from both of their avoiding roadblocks, respect for users to be used in real situations. research projects are important in complexity, lack of knowledge, the The commercial availability of this today’s interactive computing and small number of researchers, and genre of computing was anticipated networked world. modest budgets at PARC all led to a by 10 to 15 years. As I once tried to The second cornerstone of finessing style of design. Instead of explain, the best way to predict the ARPA/PARC’s success was funding trying to build complex artifacts future is to invent it! people, not projects. ARPA/PARC from scratch—like trying to build The history of ARPA/PARC had two high thresholds—self- living things cell by cell—for the shows that a combination of vision motivation and ability. People who most important projects, we built a and modest funding in a felicitous had to do something, whether kernel that could grow the artifact context can almost magically give they were paid or not, and whose as new knowledge was gained. In rise to new technologies and sci- doings were likely to be highly other words, we got one cell’s DNA ences that both enhance civilization interesting and important were cul- in good shape and then let it help and produce enormous wealth for tivated. Thus conventional over- grow the whole system. society. In spite of this, today— sight was not only unnecessary, it For example, Chuck Thacker’s astoundingly—many excuses are was really impossible. Peer review and Butler Lampson’s beautiful and given—variously ignorant, vacuous, could not be easily done, even with parsimonious architecture for the and fearful—as to why the actual peers. Alto allowed most functions that ARPA/PARC style of funding is not The situation was out of control, were normally frozen in hardware to being done, especially by govern- yet extremely productive, and not be re-microcoded at will as new ideas ment institutions that are supposed at all anarchic. It was out of con- came forth, without requiring that to provide such funding. trol because artists have to do what the low-level hardware be redesigned Isn’t it time we recapture these they have to do. It was extremely and rebuilt. The Smalltalk system higher visions for the sake of good productive because a great vision used an important meta-idea that reason, even if there is no cold war? acts like a magnetic field from the allowed its DNA to be completely For example, how about helping the future that aligns all of the little described on one sheet of paper, children of the world grow up learn- iron-particle artists to point north implemented in a month, and then ing to be better thinkers than most without seeing it. They then make grown in the presence of experience adults are today? How about their own paths to the future. and new ideas into the powerful sys- inventing technologies for the An important principle at PARC tem it became. The bit-map display entire world that do not have disas- was Bob Taylor’s and Butler Lamp- acted as “silicon paper” that could trous side effects? How about deal- son’s idea of the Living Lab: that show any image, so the graphics that ing with our planet as a whole we actually had to scale up and use could be displayed did not have to be system that we all have to live on? our inventions as our daily tools. perfect. This led directly to bit-map These quests are as romantic as any Roadblocks were avoided by first painting, animation, and typogra- quests in the past. Reengaging our making sure everything necessary phy. The overlapping window inter- young engineers, mathematicians, was created within a research group face was a finesse that gave children scientists, and physicians with the and then encouraging sharing. of all ages a simple, universal way romance of their arts would truly Thus, virtually all of the PARC to communicate with all objects on create “power of the context” for the hardware—including two big time- the computer. twenty-first century. sharing mainframes, the Alto, the All of these principles came Thank you all again for this won- Ethernet, the laser printer, file together a little more than 30 years derful honor. SUMMER 2004 39
The Ongoing Computer Revolution
Butler W. Lampson is a member of great judgment about which network can communicate any- NAE and Distinguished Engineer, research problems are both truly thing, and the software lets you Microsoft Corporation. important and ripe for solution. construct anything—perhaps not The late Roger Needham [managing quite anything, but you can typeset I remember reading about the director, Microsoft Research Labo- text, do drawings, pictures, music, Draper Prize a few years ago and ratory] said that the secret of success animation, and voice. Of the thinking, “Wow, they give that to in computer systems research is to things you can do today with com- people for inventing the jet engine attack problems you know are easy puters, we missed numbers, because or communications satellites or but that everyone else thinks are we didn’t have much personal use the integrated circuit.” It’s a great hard. That’s what we always did in for spreadsheets, and databases, and honor to join that august com- Bob’s research programs. mathematics were too hard. pany tonight. At PARC we stood on the shoul- The system is enabled by the I studied physics in college, and I ders of giants, the people who hardware conceived, designed, and went to graduate school at Berkeley invented time-sharing, the ARPA built by Chuck Thacker. In spite of to study more physics. But I started and Aloha networks, programming that, the software is everything, programming in high school on an languages, operating systems, Doug even though it’s nothing tangible. IBM 650, and it was always a big dis- Engelbart’s on-line system and his With software, you can make the traction from physics. At Berkeley I mouse, Sketchpad. Nearly all of us system do anything. This is even was lucky enough to stumble across came from the community of more true today. an ARPA project hidden behind an researchers fostered by ARPA. There’s a story about some people unmarked door that was building Xerox asked us to invent the elec- who were writing the software for an one of the first time-sharing systems; tronic office, even though no one early avionics computer. that system later became a com- knew what that meant. We did it, mercial product, the SDS 940. I was though, and everyone uses it today. One day they were visited by the immediately seduced, and I aban- That makes it hard to remember weight control officer, who was respon- doned physics and never looked what the world was like in 1972. sible for the total weight of the plane. back (which was fortunate consi- Most people back then thought it “You’re building software?” dering the job market for new was crazy to devote a whole comput- “Yes.” physics Ph.D.s five years later). er to the needs of one person—after “How much does it weigh?” Since then, after brief stints on all, machines are fast and people are “It doesn’t weigh anything.” the Berkeley faculty and at a failed slow. But that’s true only if the per- “Come on, you can’t fool me. They start-up company, I’ve worked for son has to play on the machine’s all say that.” three major computing research terms. If the machine makes things “No, it really doesn’t weigh any- laboratories: Xerox PARC’s Com- comfortable for the person, it’s the thing.” puter Science Laboratory; Digital’s other way around. No machine, After half an hour of back and forth, Systems Research Center; and even today, can keep up with a per- he gave up. But two days later he came Microsoft Research. I worked for son’s speech and vision. back and said, “I’ve got you guys Bob Taylor, directly or indirectly, for The most important property of pinned to the wall. I came in last night, 30 years, from my time at Berkeley what we built was its universality and the janitor showed me where you until I joined Microsoft, and I have (within its domain, of course). keep your software.” He opened a unbounded admiration for his two Everyone knew that a computer closet door, and there were boxes and outstanding qualities. First, he has could compute anything, but in boxes of punch cards. “You can’t tell the ability to attract outstanding the Alto system, the screen can me those don’t weigh anything!” people and coax them into working also display any image (well, on the After a short pause, they explained as a whole that is greater than the Alto it has to be black and white), to him, very gently, that the software sum of its parts. Second, he has the printer can print any image, the was in the holes. The 40 BRIDGE
People often ask whether we fore- either. Where did all the bytes and to my computer, which is quite a bit saw a PC on every desk. Certainly cycles go? They went into visual faster than typing it and much more we did, since we knew Moore’s law. fidelity and elegance, integration, comfortable. I’ve proposed a grand I wrote a paper in 1972 that pre- backward compatibility, bigger challenge research problem—to dicted exactly that. We even pre- objects (whole books instead of reduce highway traffic deaths to zero. dicted today’s Tablet PC; there’s a memos), and most of all, time to This can only be done by making cars picture of it, from the late sixties, in market. Today’s PC obeys Alan’s that can drive themselves, at least in the text of Alan’s talk on the Acad- dictum. It’s like Kleenex; you use it emergencies. We have good enough emy’s web site. And we were pretty once and throw it away. The Alto, cameras, microphones, brakes, and cocky. We thought people would much to his frustration, lasted for steering, so this is a pure computer want the bit-map displays, laser eight years. science problem—vision, modeling printers, networking, what-you-see- What can we learn from the Alto the world and its uncertainties, plan- is-what-you-get editors, drawing about the future of computing? In ning, system reliability. And success programs, file servers, and point- Alan’s words, “the best way to pre- would have valuable by-products. and-click e-mail that we built. One dict the future is to invent it.” I’m Existing roads could carry a lot more thing we didn’t foresee was that soft- constantly amazed at the number of traffic, and drivers could spend their ware would become such an impor- people who think there’s not much time doing something else. Perhaps tant industry; perhaps this was more to do with computers. Actu- someone here can explain why I because it doesn’t weigh anything. ally, the computer revolution has haven’t been able to sell this idea. People often write that Xerox only just begun. The four of us being honored didn’t benefit from our work. Actu- Looking at the history of comput- tonight did only a fraction of the ally Xerox benefited a lot, in high- ing from 50,000 feet, you can see work of building the Alto system. end computer printing, where that computers are good for three About 50 remarkably talented they’ve made billions of dollars. things: simulation, communication, people worked on it for about Xerox also brought a wonderful and embodiment. We started with eight years, and many of them office system product to market in simulation, of nuclear weapons and went on to found major companies. 1981, the Star. It was much better payrolls. Twenty-five years later, I wish I could say something about than anything we built in research; communication blossomed, with each one of them, but it would be in fact, that was its problem—it e-mail, the Internet, and the web. overwhelming to list even the was too expensive. It’s ironic that Today, after another 25 years, we’re major contributors. the researchers tried, and failed, to in the earliest stages of embodi- Lois, my wife of 35 years, works in get the product group to build ment—computers that interact biology, which will be an even more something less wonderful, but much with the physical world. The Mars exciting field than computing in the simpler and cheaper. Star was a fail- rovers and the Roomba vacuum next few years; she wrote her Ph.D. ure of product planning and mar- cleaner are just the beginning. For thesis on the Alto. My son Michael keting, not a case of technology left 20 years, I’ve been predicting that is also a biologist, a postdoc at Rock- on the shelf. the next decade would be the efeller University. He is here with Today’s PC is about 10,000 times decade of household robots. Well, his wife, Min-Young Kim, a violinist as big and as fast as an Alto; in fact, now we have one, so I was only who plays in the Daedalus Quartet. the MSN Direct wristwatch I’m 20 years too early. My other son, David, a writer, is in wearing is bigger and faster than an And we’re also in the early stages Machu Picchu in Peru and couldn’t Alto. But the PC doesn’t do 10,000 of computers that can understand be here. There’s a bright future times as much, or do it 10,000 times speech and pictures, drive cars, and before all of them. as fast, or even 100 times as fast as repair themselves. I dictated this talk Thank you. SUMMER 2004 41
Following the Dream
Robert W. Taylor is an NAE member the groups he worked with. speed of his thought and the power and Director Emeritus, Systems He seems to think of his domicile of his logic. Research Center, Compaq Computer as Shangri La. So there he is, hap- Of course, today, these three are Corporation. His son, Kurt H. Tay- pily ensconced with his two stan- world famous in the domain of com- lor, delivered these remarks on his dard poodles, Max and Lara, his puting. But I feel fortunate to have father’s behalf. Beethoven, his books, his big dish known all of them early in their satellite, his DSL-connected Inter- careers, to have witnessed firsthand Good evening, officers and mem- net, and the enjoyable climate of the work they are being honored for bers of the National Academies northern California, which I would tonight as it was developed and and guests. Before I read my dad’s add, enables him to grow his own talked about around our house. I’m remarks, I’d like to say a few words heirloom tomatoes, which he shares proud that I knew them “when”— on my own. Let me first explain with friends and family annually at before networked systems, personal Bob’s absence. I am happy to report his well attended “Tomato Fest.” computers, bit-mapped displays, that he is alive and well and enjoy- He seldom comes down to the electronic mail, laser printing, or ing life in his modest mountainside “flats,” as he calls them, except for any of the technologies they pio- home overlooking the Silicon Val- required trips to the grocery, the bar- neered became ubiquitous in our ley that he helped to shape. Bob ber, and his dog groomers. But he is lives. I, and everyone in this room retired in 1996 after four enor- not a hermit. In fact, he welcomes and countless people around the mously productive careers with visitors and receives them often. world, have benefited personally NASA, ARPA, Xerox, and DEC. Many of his former colleagues live in from the work of this year’s Draper For more than 35 years, those jobs the Bay area, and he enjoys keeping Prize recipients. And I would say, required that he travel extensively, in touch with them. When asked with apologies to Mr. Churchill, both in the United States and why he prefers to stay at home, he is that never have so many “end users” abroad. By the time he retired, he fond of saying that whenever he owed so much to so few! had determined that travel had leaves his immediate neighborhood, Now I would like to read a few become work—and very unpleasant his quality of life goes down. It’s words from my dad. work at that. So when he retired hard to argue with that. On the Occasion of Receiving from work, he decided to retire from Finally, I want to say what an the 2004 Draper Prize from travel also, and he hasn’t traveled honor and pleasure it is to be here the National Academy of since—not even to the White with the other three Draper Prize Engineering House to accept the National recipients. I have known all of them Medal of Technology in 1999. But since I was a teenager—I saw them by Robert W. Taylor the cause of his intransigence does often at Bob’s office and at our home Before I address matters directly not end there. for dinners or parties. They, and related to the 2004 Draper Prize, I As I mentioned, Bob’s home is many other folks working in the ask for your indulgence while I state modest by any standard, but it sits in Xerox PARC computer science labs, a few personal facts and give you a rural area on a marvelous site at were our family friends, as well as my some sense of my career. I was 1,400 feet in the Santa Cruz Moun- dad’s colleagues. I’ve played tennis adopted when I was 28 days old by a tains amid huge, beautiful oaks and with Alan Kay, and I’ve heard him Methodist minister and his wife Douglas firs. The house overlooks play the harpsichord. My two in Texas, where I grew up and went Palo Alto, the south San Francisco younger brothers were babysitters to college. College was temporarily Bay, and the mountains to the east, for the Thackers, who lived just interrupted by some unexciting all of which we call the Silicon Val- down the street from us. Whenever time in the Navy during the Korean ley. It is easy to imagine him on his Butler [Lampson] was around, I (and War. In the late 1950s, after being deck surveying the population everyone else) marveled at how fast a professional student with numer- below and smiling inwardly at the he talked—a trait for which he has ous majors and minors, I did a grad- impact of his work and the work of always been known as well as the uate thesis in psychoacoustics and The 42 BRIDGE earned a master’s degree. In the Corporation asked me to build SRC, investment. Most of it went into process, I learned enough about the Systems Research Center, in physics, materials science, and computers to be repelled by the idea Palo Alto. More than a dozen optics. But a few dozen computer- of punching holes in cards, taking PARC people joined me there (the ists at PARC redefined the nature them to a priest behind a glass wall, glory days at PARC were over). and purpose of computing, and and then waiting hours or days for SRC developed an excellent reputa- their research put PARC on the results. A now famous paper pub- tion in the computer research com- map. The 2004 Draper Prize honors lished in March 1960 by J.C.R. munity and had a number of this research. Licklider convinced me that there achievements, of which web search The four individuals named in was a better way called “interactive technology, Alta Vista, is probably this year’s prize formed the cadre of computing.” This realization, given the best known. I retired in 1996. that extraordinary group, which to me by Lick, set the theme for the From this sketch, perhaps you can today reads like a “Who’s Who” in rest of my career. see how fortunate I was, beginning computer science. In the last half of By the early 1960s, after some with my adoption by loving parents. the 1960s, they were graduate stu- experience with a flight-simulator The importance of being in the right dents at a handful of universities, company, I was a program manager place at the right time cannot be where, with support from ARPA, for the NASA Headquarters Office overestimated. I was very, very they built the first experimental of Advanced Research and Tech- lucky; and as has often been said, the interactive computer systems. From nology. While there, perhaps my harder you work, the luckier you get. these, they gained insights into best decision was to award a NASA Sometimes I am asked why I interactive computing that were research contract to Doug Engelbart’s never started a company. I was not available to others. In the group at SRI. The invention of the never interested in starting a com- 1970s, when they were recruited to computer mouse was one result of pany because I didn’t want to work PARC, they shared a dream—that their work. Did you think NASA with the nonresearch people neces- computer systems could be com- gave us only Tang and Teflon? sary to the founding of a company. I pletely redesigned and that this J.C.R. Licklider joined ARPA in loved the world of research. Look- redesign could enable personal late 1962 and founded the now ing back, one of my greatest joys interactions with text, pictures, and famous Information Processing was that I could pick and choose my networking for millions of indi- Techniques Office. This office sup- colleagues—and such wonderful viduals. The dream promised to ported most of the U.S. computer colleagues they were! encourage creative potential and research throughout the 1960s and And now, about the 2004 Draper new forms of communication. The provided the funding base for the Prize. Once upon a time and for value of connecting people and creation of academic computer sci- many centuries, beginning with the their interests could dwarf the value ence. Licklider was succeeded by first computer, the abacus, the of computing only for arithmetic. Ivan Sutherland, and they suggested purpose of computers was to solve The dream was not widely shared I join ARPA in 1965 as Ivan’s arithmetic problems. With elec- outside the group. The great major- deputy. When Ivan left soon after, I tricity, they could solve them ity of computing experts and leading became the director. In February faster, and the advent of the inte- computer manufacturers in the 1966, with the support of my boss, grated circuit made them even 1970s rejected these ideas as absurd. ARPA Director Charles Herzfeld, I faster, more reliable, and a lot Some said, “No one wants it; the launched my most important ARPA cheaper. But they were still only world doesn’t need so many com- project—the ARPAnet. arithmetic engines. Then a remark- puters. What could I possibly do In 1970 I founded the Computer able transformation occurred. with my own computer?” It was Science Lab of the then new Xerox Xerox opened its Palo Alto asserted that there weren’t enough Palo Alto Research Center, called Research Center in 1970, and it people to maintain so many PARC, where I worked for 13 years. grew over time to about 300 people. machines. Some calculated that the This is the period relevant to the Today, PARC is known for its inno- costs would be prohibitive or that it Draper Prize, and I will say more vative computer science research of would be a profligate waste of valu- about it later. the 1970s, but computer science able computer time. A Xerox senior In 1983, Digital Equipment was only a small part of its research manager once said to me, “If this is SUMMER 2004 43
such a good idea, why isn’t IBM The list of technical innovations created at PARC, and the world was working on it?” from PARC that were disruptive to changed. A list of these companies The established computer manu- the computer companies of the includes Adobe, Apple, Cisco, facturers had their own products to 1970s included: the first operational Microsoft, Novell, 3Com, and Sun, protect, and the dream did not fit internet; the first local area network; among others. By the mid-1990s, their visions of their businesses. So the direct precursor to Microsoft the Internet, which was fundamen- they ignored the new technology Word; the first graphical user inter- tally dependent upon all these prod- and suffered somewhat as a result. face; the first laser printer; the first ucts, was in full swing and growing. They became victims of what were client-server architecture; the first The result is arguably one of the later referred to as “disruptive tech- networked personal computer; and greatest and most beneficial engi- nologies,” and their suffering gave a desktop publishing. Of these, the neering innovations of the twenti- certain, perhaps perverse, pleasure least disruptive to Xerox was the eth century, as influential as the to those of us who believe that the laser printer. That and the Ethernet automobile, the airplane, and tele- punishment should fit the crime. were the only technologies on the vision and, perhaps, just ahead of When a company encounters a list that Xerox developed into suc- duct tape and Post-It notes, which technology that could disrupt its cessful products. However, the laser have also been very beneficial. business, it ignores it at its peril. If printer created a billion dollar busi- This story began with “once upon possible, the company should ness that paid for their research a time,” and if we keep our perspec- embrace, understand, protect, and investment many times over. tive, we might just “live happily nurture a disruptive technology, or In the next 20 years, a number of ever after.” Thank you, National else the company may be bitten— new companies developed successful Academy of Engineering, for recog- sometimes fatally. products based on the technologies nizing this work!
A Long Way to Go
Charles P. Thacker is a member of was the quintessential young nerd, I was self-supporting during most NAE and Distinguished Engineer, complete with slide rule and pocket of my university years, and I decided Microsoft Corporation. protector. I built radios, was a to take a year off after graduation “ham” operator, and was a member and work while I applied to graduate As you can imagine, it’s a great of all my schools’ science clubs. schools. This is usually a very bad pleasure to be here with you tonight. As an undergraduate, I decided idea, but it was one of the best deci- I want to thank the academy, the the best way to follow a path in sci- sions I ever made because I got a nominators, and NAE President ence and engineering would be to job at the Genie Project in the Wulf for including me as a recipient study physics. I had worked for a University of California’s Electrical of this year’s Draper Prize. It is an while at Caltech’s Synchrotron Lab, Engineering and Computer Science honor I never in my wildest dreams and the lure of these large machines, Department. There I fell in with expected to receive. with their cutting-edge engineering very good companions indeed, most Before I tell you about the work challenges and their potential to notably Butler [Lampson]. I had being recognized this year, let me improve our understanding of how worked with, but not on, computers tell you a bit about myself. Unlike the world works, was irresistible. I before but hadn’t been very inter- many other people, I was extremely planned to become an accelerator ested in them, because most of the fortunate in knowing my career path designer, and therefore took both machines were protected from their from an early age. I knew what engi- engineering and physics classes. For- users by a priesthood of operators neers did because my father was one, tunately, things didn’t work out. In and programmers. and engineering seemed to me the retrospect, this would have been a But the Genie Project, funded by best way to make an impact on the very poor career choice, given today’s Bob Taylor at ARPA, had some- world while solving interesting substantial reduction in government thing new—time-sharing. The pro- puzzles—and being paid to do so. I support for high-energy physics. ject had built one of the first The 44 BRIDGE machines, the SDS 940, that I’m frequently asked which of the his mentor J.C.R. Licklider. The allowed users to interact with it many innovations that came out of Ethernet made this possible. directly, rather than through PARC have fundamental and last- Although today’s Ethernets are acolytes. I was captivated by this ing importance. Certainly not the thousands of times faster than our idea. I switched fields, abandoned computers we built, which seem original version, they employ most graduate school, and haven’t looked quaint today. In fact, personal com- of the original ideas. Ethernet has back since. The Genie Project was puting didn’t become pervasive and become the dominant local area planning a successor to the 940, but economical until another decade of networking technology. it seemed difficult to carry out such progress had been made in micro- Fourth, and perhaps most pro- an ambitious project in academia, so electronics, an area in which we did found, is the idea that we could com- a number of us left to form the ill- only a little work. Certainly not the bine these technologies to produce fated Berkeley Computer Corpora- mouse, which was invented in Doug what we’d call today a distributed sys- tion. Although we managed to get Engelbart’s group at SRI. We seized tem with total utility that exceeds the system—the BCC 500—work- on Doug’s idea and refined it, but we the sum of its parts. This is a soft- ing, the company failed in 1970. didn’t innovate. ware engineering challenge that Bob Taylor had just joined Xerox I think only four PARC innova- depends on the availability of a vari- to start the new PARC Computer tions in the area of hardware have ety of commodity hardware devices, Science Lab in Palo Alto, and a stood the test of time. First is the bit- and for this reason, has taken longer number of the BCC staff [including mapped display. For the first time, than some other innovations to me] went to work for him. I spent we were able to provide a display become widespread. Nevertheless, an enormously productive and excit- device with properties that approxi- most large systems today, from search ing 13 years at the computer science mated those of paper. Earlier dis- engines to databases, are built in this lab (CSL), where I did some of the plays could do nothing but draw way; and a substantial amount of work being recognized tonight. I’ll lines or text in a limited number of research is now being done to under- talk more about this in a moment. fonts. With the bit-mapped display, stand how to scale them up to attack In 1983, Bob and a few members the computer could display anything, ever larger computing problems. of the CSL group left Xerox and subject only to the limits of the pro- But the most important PARC started the Digital Equipment Cor- grammer’s imagination. innovations were in software, with- poration (DEC) Systems Research The second is the laser printer, a out which a computer is no more Center (SRC). I continued to work marriage of xerographic and com- useful than a hot rock. Butler and in the area of computer architecture puting technology that enabled the Alan have spoken with much more and networks and remained at DEC infinite variety of images we could authority than I about this, so I’ll until 1997, when I joined Microsoft, display on our screens to be faithfully be brief. CSL and the other com- where I remain today. reproduced on paper. Today’s laser puting labs at PARC worked in During the CSL and SRC years, printers are much less expensive three broad areas: (1) theoretical Bob, Butler, and I worked together than earlier devices, but they aren’t computer science, which is mostly closely on many projects. I am enor- much faster or higher in resolution, mathematics; (2) systems research, mously fortunate to have had them and their basic form hasn’t changed including operating systems, pro- as mentors, colleagues, and friends in 30 years. Curiously enough, one gramming languages, and tools; and for 30 years. I still work today with of the themes of PARC was the quest (3) applications programs that allow a number of valued colleagues from for the “paperless office.” The laser users to interact with the system those days, some of whom are here printer stopped this quest dead in its and get their work done. I believe tonight. After PARC, Alan [Kay] tracks, and the consumption of paper PARC’s largest impact on the way followed a different path, working to has increased enormously because of we use computers today was in this achieve his dream of improving our its widespread adoption. third area. The windowed user ability to educate children. This has The third is the Ethernet. The interface, in which the user interacts recently become the focus of my idea that a computer should be a with the machine by pointing and own work at Microsoft, so Alan and communications device in addition clicking with a mouse in addition to I may see much more of each other to being a fancy calculator was typing, had been explored earlier in in the future. long advocated by Bob Taylor and Engelbart’s NLS (oN Line System). SUMMER 2004 45
But Doug’s hardware could only dis- the case tonight. Butler, Alan, Bob, This doesn’t seem to have done any play text, which left a lot of unex- and I are only representatives of a permanent damage, however, and plored territory. Several approaches much larger group of extremely tal- she and Daniel are happily pursuing were tried, and the results of those ented people who came together on careers in marine biology. I’m sorry explorations are with us today in sys- different projects during the PARC our other daughter, Kathy, and her tems from Apple and Microsoft. years. This honor belongs as much husband, Dean, who are expecting CSL also pioneered the “what you to them as to us. our second grandchild, were unable see is what you get” text editor. The Finally, there is one special person to attend tonight. “Bravo” text editor developed by I’d like to thank, my wife, Karen. In conclusion, Butler has said that Butler and Charles Simonyi is the We have been married for 40 years, the computing revolution has just direct ancestor of Microsoft Word, and she has been an unfailing source begun (actually he’s said similar although we’ve added a quite a few of companionship, support, and things about every five years for the features over the years. love. She and my daughter, Chris- last 30 years). But he’s surely right. As frequently happens with tine, who with her husband, Daniel, Although there are a few hundred awards like the Draper Prize, the is also here tonight, put up with a lot million computers, there are six bil- work being recognized is not solely during the early days of PARC, lion people. So a lot of opportunity the contribution of the individuals including seeing me at home pri- is still out there, and we have a long being recognized. This is definitely marily during the 2 a.m. feeding. way to go. Thank you again.
Bridging the Gap between Engineering and Business
Frank S. Barnes is a member of NAE delivery of drugs to tuberculosis Leonard Lewin, Floyd Becker, and Distinguished Professor in the patients in the slums of Peru. Sam Maley, Petr Beckmann, and Department of Electrical and Com- Others have operated major mili- Esther Sparn made major contribu- puter Engineering at the University tary command and control systems tions to the success of the program of Colorado, Boulder. and are helping to rebuild commu- in its early years. Dr. Joe Pelton had nications systems in Iraq. the vision to expand the program I am honored and excited to In about 1970, after a conversa- in many ways, including adding a receive the Bernard Gordon Prize tion with Dr. John Richardson, I distance-education component that from the National Academy of recognized the need for a program now represents about half of the Engineering for the Interdiscipli- that would bridge the gap between program. It took unconventional nary Telecommunications Program engineering and political and busi- faculty, such as Gary Bardsley, Ger- (ITP). A great many people con- ness processes. Dr. Richardson ald Mitchell, Harvey Gates, and tributed to the success of this pro- introduced me to the man who Dale Hatfield, to bring practical gram, but time will permit me to became cofounder of the program, experience into the classroom. As mention only a few. First are the political science professor George with every new program, no schools students who, year in and year out, Codding. We put together a pro- were graduating fresh Ph.D.s in have proven that our approach has gram that included political science, the field, and experience counts. value by making significant contri- sociology, business, and electrical The commitments of the current butions to the growth and develop- engineering. As many of you may faculty and staff, including Tim ment of the telecommunications know, these academic units do not Brown, Jon Sauer, Jim Alleman, industry over the past 30 years. The work together naturally, and it isn’t Tom Lookabaugh, Doug Sicker, contributions of our more than easy to keep the demands of the Scott Savage, Ray Nettleton, Phil 2,000 graduates range from heading home departments from pulling it Wiser, and Eydi Mitchell, are the up major corporations to imple- apart. Unfortunately, George passed major reason for the program’s con- menting a data communications away a few years ago, but I am sure tinuing survival and success. system that reduced the error rate he would be thrilled at this recogni- Let me take a moment to describe by more than a factor of five in the tion for his many years of effort. some of the things that make ITP an The 46 BRIDGE innovative program and a model, at grew to more than 400 students. helps them use new material in least in part, for expanding the A faculty of about 10 simply could solving important problems. scope of engineering education to not supervise more than 150 theses Third, we should incorporate reach new groups of students and a year and do a quality job. telecommunications into programs make our engineering graduates Several things can be learned from both to reach out to the community more effective. One major innova- this program that are important to of students on a worldwide basis and tion in ITP was a recognition of the the future of engineering education. to import courses to improve the need for graduates with a grasp not First, a large number of potential quality of education on our cam- only of the technical fundamentals students who do not start their under- puses. This will mean bringing on of telecommunications but also of graduate work in engineering or sci- the best professors we can find, no government regulations, politics, ence are looking for a way to acquire matter where they are located, and and the economics of the industry. significant technical information. finding a way to use telecommuni- In the early 1970s, some of the Given a chance, they can fill impor- cations to make them available to politicians who made policy deci- tant roles in the management of our students. It will also mean using sions had little knowledge of the technical industries as they bring telecommunications to enable stu- technical and economic aspects of with them skills that many of our dents to work in teams with other the industry, and engineers had little engineering students do not have. I students located around the world or no knowledge of the politics that can remember being surprised, to prepare them to work in the defined the industry. There was a pleased, and shocked to hear a reli- global economy and compete on great need for people with knowl- gion major in our program explain- the world stage. edge in both areas to help manage ing a Cisco router to an industrial In closing, I want to thank my the growth of cable TV and, as it visitor. She has since moved on to a family for their support and for later turned out, the whole telecom- satisfying high tech job as a technical putting up with many hours of work munications industry as it evolved writer. The need to provide techni- in the evenings, travel on week- after the breakup of AT&T. cal skills to a wide range of students ends, and being a very slow learner Second, because neither George goes beyond the telecommunications when it comes to saying “no.” I also nor I wanted to teach service industry and includes civil engi- want to thank the many supporters courses forever, we had to design a neering, especially water and sewer of ITP who have backed the pro- program that accepted both elec- systems, chemical engineering, espe- gram through good times and bad. trical engineering and political cially the environment and biotech- When doubters said students did science graduates. This meant the nology, and electrical engineering, not know this or that or that the program had to have limited sci- especially power systems. program did not fit into standard ence, math, and other prerequisites. Even more important, we must academic structures or value sys- The result is a program that enables learn how to teach our students to tems, they stayed the course. students with limited technical learn new material more efficiently. I would like to ask the faculty and backgrounds to enter the telecom- We must draw on neural science, former students in ITP who are here munications industry with a work- psychology, education, and com- tonight to stand and be recognized. ing knowledge of the technology puter science to get a better under- They are all important contributors that prepares them to assume standing of how students learn and to the success of this program. important management positions. to develop ways to help them learn Finally, I want to thank Mr. and Finally, because the program was more quickly. We must recognize Mrs. Gordon, members of the acad- fundamentally limited by what could that in a fixed period of time we can emy, and Bill Wulf for recognizing be accomplished in a little more than teach only a small fraction of the the importance of innovation in a year, we included a thesis require- information our students need to engineering education and for ment as a way of ensuring that each know. Therefore, selecting material providing the kind of recognition student had mastered at least one that provides a foundation for fur- and support that will make possible subject in depth. We were forced ther learning is extremely impor- other changes that will improve the to replace this requirement with a tant. We must teach students how quality of the education we provide capstone course when the program to learn on their own in a way that our students. Thank you. SUMMER 2004 47
Seventh German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
On April 29 and 30 and May 1, Lucent Technologies, and Theodor April 30, the group toured the NAE hosted the seventh German- Doll, professor of microstructural National Air and Space Museum’s American Frontiers of Engineering physics at the University of Mainz recently opened Steven F. Udvar- (GAFOE) Symposium at the and research director at the Institut Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, National Academies Building in für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH, co- and then had dinner at Top of the Washington, D.C. Modeled on the chaired the organizing committee Town in Arlington, Virginia, which U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Sym- and the symposium. features an impressive view of posium, this bilateral meeting The four topics covered at the Washington, D.C. The talk by the brought together 65 engineers (ages meeting were: engineering and art; dinner speaker, NAE member 30 to 45) from German and U.S. the Internet; quality management Hans Mark, professor and John companies, universities, and govern- tools and methods in production J. McKetta Centennial Chair in ments. NAE works with the Alex- design, innovation, and logistics; Engineering at the University of ander von Humboldt Foundation to and bioengineering and the food Texas, Austin, was on “The Prob- organize this activity. industry. Two Germans and two lem of Energy.” Like U.S. Frontiers symposia, the Americans presented talks in each Funding for the GAFOE meeting goal of GAFOE is to provide a forum of the four areas. The topics in- was provided by the National Sci- for emerging engineering leaders to cluded engineering artistic envi- ence Foundation, Bell Laboratories/ get together and learn about leading- ronments, the state of the art in Lucent Technologies, Cargill Inc., edge developments in a broad range searching the web, the demands the NAE Fund, and the Alexander of engineering fields, thereby facili- on quality management methods von Humboldt Foundation. Plans tating interdisciplinary transfers created by intelligent logistical are under way for an eighth GAFOE of knowledge and methodologies. processes, and nanostructures and meeting to be held in Germany GAFOE also helps build cooperative nanoengineering in foods. Presen- in 2005. networks of younger engineers that tations were limited to 25 minutes For more information about this cross national boundaries. to allow plenty of time for ques- activity, contact Janet Hunziker NAE member Elsa Reichmanis, tions and discussions, which carried in the NAE Program Office director of the Materials Research over into the breaks, receptions, at 202/334-1571 or by e-mail at Department at Bell Laboratories/ and dinners. On Friday afternoon, [email protected].
GAFOE attendees The 48 BRIDGE
A Serious Game in Las Vegas
On April 20, about 300 news news directors (Daniel Rosenheim, knowledgeable explanations of risks directors from television and radio KPIX-TV, San Francisco, and and scientific and technical context stations around the country con- Kathy Walker, KOA-AM, Denver) for their reports. They also cau- verged on a softly lit ballroom at and two government leaders (Tim tioned about drawing conclusions the Las Vegas Hilton to consider McAndrew, Las Vegas Office of based on incomplete information. the hard choices they will face in Emergency Management, and When the exercise ended, work- the event of a terrorist attack. In a Robert Stephan, special assistant to shop participants were anxious to 75-minute session at the Radio- the secretary, Department of Home- ask questions of scenario partici- Television News Directors Associ- land Security [DHS]) in a tabletop pants and organizers about every- ation annual meeting, organized by scenario exercise. thing from the effectiveness of the Radio-Television News Direc- ABC News national security cor- emergency alert systems to when tors Foundation and NAE, the respondent John McWethy facili- more sessions like these might be news directors participated in an tated the discussion and related new held. In fact, NAE will head an exercise that gave them an oppor- information as events unfolded in 18-month project (sponsored by tunity to respond to an imaginary “real” time. During the exercise, DHS and the Gannett Foundation) “dirty” bomb explosion and to the news directors “contacted” to hold 10 similar day-long work- think about how they would con- David and Hecker for information shops in cities around the country. vey vital information to the public. about different types of radiation, The project was announced by NAE members Ruth David, pres- health effects, and protective mea- DHS Secretary Tom Ridge in a ident and CEO, ANSER, and sures for people in the vicinity of an speech on April 19. NAE will work Siegfried Hecker, senior fellow and explosion. The NAE experts also closely with other units in the former director, Los Alamos explained the differences between National Academies, DHS, and the National Laboratory, who provided dirty bombs and nuclear bombs. Radio-Television News Directors expertise on attacks using radio- In general, the NAE experts pro- Foundation to plan and conduct logical devices, were joined by two vided news directors with impartial, the workshops.
EngineerGirl! Contest Winners
The EngineerGirl! website (www. how we protect ourselves, our credit card that reads and stores engineergirl.org) recently sponsored country, our property, and be- all of a person’s biomedical infor- an essay contest on the subject of longings, or how we travel. Three mation merely by being placed in “Engineering Is a Dream Career.” winners were chosen in each of the palm of the hand. The winner Kids in grades 4 through 12 were two categories (grades 4 through in the grades 9 through 12 category asked to imagine how an engineering 8 and 9 through 12). First prize was Dewi Harjanto of Irvine, Cali- development would change their winners were awarded $250 each. fornia, whose essay was about Oper- lives in 2020. Engineering achieve- Sudhandra Sundaram of Rich- ation Vac, an engine for boats that ments might change how we com- land, Washington, winner in grades also cleans and filters water. All municate, how we treat the envi- 4 through 8 category, wrote about winning essays can be found on ronment, how we protect our health, a biocard, a device the size of a www.engineergirl.org. SUMMER 2004 49
NAE Development Notes
The Grainger Foundation international programs on urban ethics-related materials, including recently awarded $500,000 to NAE infrastructure for sustainable cities case studies, essays, training for the establishment and admin- in the developing world. To begin resources, and links to corporate, istration of the National Academy this initiative, NAE will open a dia- research, government, and aca- of Engineering Grainger Chal- logue with the Chinese Academy of demic websites. lenge Prize. The purpose of the prize Engineering and Chinese Academy Mr. Bovay’s grant of $25,000 will is to encourage the creation of of Sciences on a joint project that enable NAE to relocate the website technologies that consume fewer would serve two objectives: (1) to over a period of two years and resources, generate less waste of all make a contribution in an area that provide for the services of web spe- kinds, and are affordable by people the Chinese government regards as cialists and ongoing technical sup- throughout the world. The prize significant at the national, provin- port. By mid-2006, when Professor will be awarded to the winner of a cial, and local levels; and (2) to help Whitbeck plans to retire, the tran- “best-entry contest” to be adminis- NAE learn how to develop and sition will be complete. With tered by a committee of 13 NAE implement partnerships of this type NAE’s wide reach in the engi- members. An announcement of the as a basis for projects with other neering community and access to target achievement for the initial partners throughout the world. the full resources of the National prize and the criteria for selection A grant from NAE member Academies, it is ideally situated to will be made later this year. Harry E. Bovay Jr. will make it build upon the solid OECS base, The Boeing Corporation has pro- possible for NAE to provide a per- extend its reach, and increase its vided $100,000 in funding to the manent home for the On-Line impact on the practices and profes- NAE Center for the Advancement Ethics Center for Engineering and sions of engineering and science. of Scholarship on Engineering Edu- Science (OECS), the foremost NAE’s ultimate goal is to establish cation (CASEE), which works col- engineering and science ethics a clearinghouse/resource website laboratively with diverse elements website in the world. The center that connects researchers, educa- of the engineering community to was launched in 1995 by Pro- tors, practitioners in engineering, expand the research base on teach- fessor Caroline Whitbeck of Case science, and ethics disciplines, and ing and learning in engineering dis- Western Reserve University with leaders in industry, the business ciplines and translate research seed funding from NAE member, community, and students. The results into practice in classrooms, Raymond S. Stata, and under- website also has the potential to internship sites, and workplaces. writing from the National Science support active learning via hyper- NAE member Alan M. Voorhees Foundation (NSF). With more links that provide alternative has given $100,000 to support than 2,200 pages and 3,000 files, pathways through the content of planning for the development of OECS provides a wealth of the site. The 50 BRIDGE
Susan Sink Joins NAE as Senior Director of Development
NAE. “The NAE plays a pivotal opment for colleges and constituent role for America,” Susan said. “It is units at Virginia Polytechnic Insti- an honor to work with the best engi- tute and State University, and dur- neers in the country who are eager ing the recent “Making a World of to help confront and solve pressing Difference” campaign, she was technical issues while advancing the director of development for the uni- engineering profession.” versity’s flagship school, the College Susan joins the Academies from of Engineering. Susan was awarded the Prospect Information Network, the Virginia Tech President’s Award where she was associate vice presi- for Excellence in 2000. Susan was Susan Sink dent of sales for the Mid-Atlantic also a member of the faculty of Pam- states. She also has 20 years of expe- plin College of Business at Virginia In March 2004, Susan Sink rience in administration and devel- Tech and an admissions administra- joined the National Academies as opment in higher education. She tor at Radford University, where she the top development officer for was assistant vice president of devel- earned her B.A. and M.B.A.
Arnold Beckman, Inventor, Chemist, and Philanthropist
precision instruments. He received a Dr. Beckman founded the distinguished service award from National Technical Laboratories in NAE in 1986 and the Founders 1935. Later renamed Beckman Award in 1987. In 1999, he was Instruments Company, the firm is awarded the NAS Public Welfare now known as Beckman Coulter, Medal for his leadership in the Inc. As a professor at Caltech, development of analytical instru- Dr. Beckman invented a method mentation and for his deep and of measuring acidity, and the abiding concern for the vitality of pH meter was the first product of the nation’s scientific enterprise. the new company. In 1987, he was Arnold O. Beckman Dr. Beckman received many inducted into the National Inven- other awards during his career, tors Hall of Fame. Arnold O. Beckman, Ph.D., retired including the 1988 National Medal In 1986, the Beckman Foundation founder and chairman of Beckman of Technology for his outstanding provided $20 million for the estab- Instruments, Inc., died after a long ill- technological contributions to the lishment of the Arnold and Mabel ness at the age of 104. Dr. Beckman United States and the 1989 Presi- Beckman Center of the National was elected to NAE in 1967 for dential Citizens Medal for his Academies of Sciences and Engi- the invention and development of exemplary deeds. neering in Irvine, California. SUMMER 2004 51
Harold Liebowitz, Former NAE President
Harold Liebowitz, 79, president Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Liebowitz at the Office of Naval Research for of NAE in 1995 and dean of the was elected to NAE in 1975 for his 20 years. Dr. Liebowitz is survived George Washington University management of research programs by his former spouse, Marilyn School of Engineering and Applied in structural mechanics and his Liebowitz, and three children, Dr. Science from 1968 to 1991, died on contributions to the engineering lit- Jay Liebowitz, Jill Liebowitz, and April 7, 2004, at his home in Tucson, erature in this field. An aeronautic Alisa Liebowitz. Arizona, from complications of and astronautic engineer, he worked
In Memoriam
WILLIS A. ADCOCK, 81, Cock- his leadership in the development of FREDERICK G. JAICKS, 80, re- rell Family Regents Chair Emeritus new optical-device technology. tired chairman, Inland Steel Com- in Engineering, University of Texas pany, died on December 10, 1998. Mr. at Austin, died on December 16, THOMAS J. HAYES III, 89, U.S. Jaicks was elected to NAE in 1979 2003. Dr. Adcock was elected to Army, retired, and retired chair- for his promotion of technological NAE in 1974 for his contributions man and CEO, International Engi- advancements in the steel industry. to the advancement of silicon mate- neering Company Inc., died on rial and device technology. March 16, 2004. Maj. Gen. Hayes GEORGE H. KIMMONS, 85, was elected to NAE in 1975 for his retired manager, Office of Engi- ALFRED E. BROWN, 87, retired work on unique and complex engi- neering Design and Construction, director, scientific affairs, Celanese neering and construction programs Tennessee Valley Authority, died Corporation, died on March 12, in support of national space and on March 23, 2004. Mr. Kimmons 2004. Dr. Brown was elected to missile programs. was elected to NAE in 1980 for NAE in 1975 for his leadership and contributions to the Tennessee Val- motivation of technical organiza- JOHN D. HOFFMAN, 81, research ley’s total resource development tions working in textile, chemical, professor, Department of Materials through technical management of and materials engineering research. Science and Engineering, Johns complex engineering design and Hopkins University, died on Feb- construction programs. KENNETH G. DENBIGH, 92, ruary 21, 2004. Dr. Hoffman was professor emeritus, University of elected to NAE in 1980 for his G. ALEXANDER MILLS, 90, London, died on January 23, 2004. contributions to the field of high retired senior scientist, Catalysis Professor Denbigh was elected to polymers and his leadership in mate- Center, University of Delaware, NAE in 1981 for formulating the rials research. died on April 28, 2004. Dr. Mills concept of “chemical reactor engi- was elected to NAE in 1977 for his neering” and for the application of JOHN K. HULM, 80, Chief Scien- contributions to the science and chemical thermodynamics to indus- tist Emeritus, Westinghouse Science technology of petroleum catalysis trial processes. and Technology Center, died on Jan- and coal conversion. uary 16, 2004. Dr. Hulm was elected JOHN K. GALT, 82, AT&T Bell to NAE in 1980 for his contributions EUGENE J. PELTIER, 93, U.S. Laboratories, retired, died on June 11, to the theory, development, and Navy, retired, died on Febru- 2003. Dr. Galt was elected to NAE application of superconductors. ary 13, 2004. Rear Admiral Peltier in 1986 for discoveries related to mag- was elected to NAE in 1979 netic and composite materials and for for his pioneering work on the The 52 BRIDGE development of engineering and PHILIP N. ROSS, 87, retired man- leadership in the practice of heavy management activities. ager, Power Systems Planning, and underground construction and Westinghouse Electric Corporation, for improving contracting practices. WILLIAM H. PICKERING, 93, died on July 24, 2003. Mr. Ross was chairman, Lignetics Inc., and a elected to NAE in 1968 for his con- JOHN M. WEST, 84, consultant, founding member of NAE, died on tributions to nuclear propulsion sys- died on February 24, 2004. Mr. West March 15, 2004. Dr. Pickering was tems and power plants. was elected to NAE in 1979 for his director of the Jet Propulsion Labo- contributions to the development ratory in Pasadena, California, from REUBEN SAMUELS, 78, prin- and application of nuclear reactors 1954 to 1976; during that time he cipal professional associate, Parsons and to the commercial success of oversaw the first robotic missions to Brinkerhoff Inc., died on Febru- light-water nuclear power plants. the moon, Venus, and Mars. ary 18, 2004. Mr. Samuels was elected to NAE in 1994 for his
Dane and Louise Miller Symposium
The Center for the Advancement symposium is a working meeting that Wulf, president of NAE, and Steve of Scholarship on Engineering Edu- promotes innovations in engineering Kirsch, founder of Infoseek and CEO cation (CASEE) will host the Dane education based upon rigorous and founder of Propel.com. Regis- and Louise Miller Symposium and its research in the cognitive and social tration information is available at annual meeting on October 20, sciences. Keynote speakers include
Preview of the 2004 NAE Annual Meeting
The 2004 NAE Annual Meeting Special events for the Class of 2004: Gilbreth Lectures is scheduled for Sunday and Monday, ◆ lunch with the NAE Council Reception October 3 and 4, 2004. Orientation ◆ introduction to the National and a black-tie dinner for new mem- Academies and NAE Monday, October 4 bers will be held on October 2, the ◆ NAE Council reception and Continental breakfast Saturday prior to the meeting. Also dinner honoring the Class Home Secretary and Foreign on October 2, meetings of peer com- of 2004 (black tie) Secretary breakfasts mittees will be held to initiate the NAE business meeting selection of candidates for the 2005 Annual Meeting Symposium celebrating election. A guest program is being Sunday, October 3 developments in planned for Monday, October 4. Brunch manufacturing technology Estate planning seminar Lunch Pre-meeting Activities Induction ceremony Section meetings Saturday, October 2 Awards ceremony— Dinner and dance at the Mellon NAE Council meeting Founders and Bueche Awards Auditorium with entertainment Peer committee meetings Talk by recipient of by Gross National Product 2004 Gordon Prize SUMMER 2004 53
Calendar of Meetings and Events
June 1 NAE Finance and Budget August 6–7 NRC Governing Board Meeting October 6 NRC Executive Committee Conference Call September 10th U.S. Frontiers of Meeting June 3 NAE Regional Meeting 8–11 Engineering Symposium October 12 Russ Prize Committee Meeting Ithaca, New York Irvine, California November 9–10 NRC Governing Board/ June 10 NRC Governing Board/ September 15 NRC Governing Board Meeting Executive Committee Meeting Executive Committee Meeting October 1 NAE Finance and Budget All meetings are held in the Academies Building, June 17 NAE Audit Committee Meeting Committee Meeting Washington, D.C., unless otherwise noted. For July 9 Russ Prize Committee Meeting October 1–2 NAE Council Meeting information about regional meetings, please July 13 NRC Governing Board/ October 2 NAE Peer Committee Meetings contact Sonja Atkinson at [email protected] or (202) 334-3677. Executive Committee Meeting October 3–5 NAE Annual Meeting August 3–4 NAE Council Meeting The National Academies Update Grant from the Gates Foundation Supports African Science Academies
The National Academies has policy decisions to tackle these these goals, but most of them have received a $20 million grant from issues. Some of the funds will be limited experience in providing pol- the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda- used to train staff members of icy guidance and marshaling the tal- tion to help African academies of African academies in planning and ents of the scientific and medical science—and the continent’s scien- conducting scientific studies and communities. Through a recently tific, engineering, and medical com- major conferences; raising and man- formed organization, New Partner- munities as a whole—improve their aging money from outside sources; ship for Africa’s Development, ability to provide evidence-based using information technology; and African nations have collectively advice to inform government policy cultivating relationships with gov- expressed a desire to pursue and and public discourse. The initiative, ernment officials and other stake- finance scientific research to meet which will be carried out over the holders in their countries. pressing needs. next 10 years, will focus on efforts to “Every country needs an organized “To eliminate global inequities in improve human health. Three sci- way to call upon its own scientific health between rich and poor, the ence academies in Africa will be and medical communities for guid- world must ensure that the fruits of chosen as partners for the initiative. ance,” said Bruce Alberts, president science, technology, and medicine Africa faces many serious prob- of the National Academy of Sci- are available to all countries,” said lems that require scientific and ences. “The ultimate goal of this ini- Richard Klausner, executive direc- medical expertise, including the tiative is to help each participating tor of the Gates Foundation Global HIV/AIDS epidemic, chronic mal- academy achieve, by the end of the Health Program. “We hope that nutrition, and life-threatening dis- 10-year period, a well developed and this important initiative will help eases, such as malaria and diarrheal enduring capacity to provide cred- achieve the goal of better health illnesses. The goal of the new initia- ible policy advice for its nation.” for all by engaging the African tive is to enable scientists and health Several academies of science in scientific community in critical care professionals to contribute to Africa are already working toward African policy decisions.” The 54 BRIDGE
Publications of Interest
The following reports have been Appendixes include the symposium Assessment Committee was formed published recently by the National program and a list of meeting par- to provide advice on this decision. Academy of Engineering or the ticipants. This is the ninth book in The committee concluded that the National Research Council. Unless the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering United States is ready to proceed otherwise noted, all publications are series. Paper, $40.00. and that the international thermo- for sale (prepaid) from the National nuclear experimental reactor (ITER), Academies Press (NAP), 500 Fifth 2003 Assessment of the Office of Naval with the United States as a signifi- Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Wash- Research’s Marine Corps Science and cant partner, would be the best ington, DC 20055. For more infor- Technology Program. The Office of choice for the experiment and mation or to place an order, contact Naval Research (ONR) funds should be a high priority of the U.S. NAP online at
the condition of stored munitions compares the elemental composi- to reach the wreck of the Titanic, more aggressively. Improved track- tion of bullets found at a crime scene have helped advance deep-ocean ing could result in a better assess- to the elemental composition of bul- science. But many scholars in this ment of the risks posed by chemical lets found in a suspect’s possession. field have noted that the number agents during storage and facilitate Unlike ballistics techniques that and capabilities of underwater vehi- disposal operations for aging stock- compare striations on the barrel of a cles no longer meet current scien- piles. Paper, $18.00. gun to those on a recovered bullet, tific demands. At the same time, CABL is used when no gun is recov- the relative value of manned and Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: ered or when bullets are too small or unmanned vehicles is still in dis- The Evidence. As the nation paid its mangled to be examined for stria- pute. The report finds that new, respects to the police officers who tions. After assessing the scientific more capable submersibles—both lost their lives in the September 11 validity of CABL, the study com- manned and unmanned—would terrorist attacks, it became clear that mittee concluded that the FBI greatly advance ocean research. “cops on the beat” would never be should use a different statistical Paper, $30.00. seen in the same way again. This analysis for CABL, and that, consid- report explores police work in the ering the variations in manufactur- Giving Full Measure to Counter- new century, replacing myths with ing processes, expert witnesses measures: Addressing Problems in the research findings and providing should make clear the very limited DoD Program to Develop Medical Coun- recommendations for updating conclusions that CABL results can termeasures against Biological Warfare policies and practices. This book support. The committee also rec- Agents. In recent years, substantial answers the most basic questions ommends that the FBI improve doc- efforts have been made to develop about what police do—how police umentation, publish details, and new drugs, vaccines, and other med- work is organized, how police improve training and oversight to ical interventions against biological responsibilities have expanded, ensure the validity of CABL results. agents that might be used in bio- increasing diversity among police, Paper, $47.00. terrorist attacks against civilian pop- and complex interactions between ulations. According to this new, officers and citizens. The report also Future Challenges for the U.S. Geological congressionally mandated report addresses community policing, the Survey’s Mineral Resources Program. from the Institute of Medicine and use of force, racial profiling, and In 1996, the National Research National Research Council, Con- more. Fairness and Effectiveness in Council provided the U.S. Geo- gress should authorize the creation Policing evaluates the success of logical Survey (USGS) Mineral of a new agency within the Office common practices, such as focusing Resources Program with a compre- of the Secretary of the U.S. Depart- on “hot spots,” and the issue of legit- hensive review and recommenda- ment of Defense to ensure the suc- imacy—how the public gets infor- tions for improvement. In this cessful development of these drugs, mation about police work, how report, the study committee assesses vaccines, and other medical inter- different groups view police, and the program’s responses to the 1996 ventions against biowarfare agents. how police can gain community recommendations, evaluates the The committee recommends that trust. This report will be helpful to minerals information team, and sug- Congress increase liability pro- policy makers, administrators, edu- gests how the program’s mission and tection for the developers and cators, police supervisors and offi- vision might evolve over the next manufacturers of these products cers, journalists, and interested decade to meet the nation’s chang- to encourage investment in new citizens. Hardcover, $49.95. ing needs. Paper, $34.00. research and development for biowarfare protection. The report Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Future Needs in Deep Submergence Sci- also identifies some barriers to be Evidence. Since the 1960s, FBI testi- ence: Occupied and Unoccupied Vehicles overcome—such as the need for mony in thousands of criminal cases in Basic Ocean Research. Deep-diving appropriate animal models and the has been based on evidence from manned submersibles, such as need for laboratories equipped with compositional analysis of bullet lead Alvin, which attracted worldwide high-level biosafety protections. (CABL), a forensic technique that attention when researchers used it Paper, $32.00. The 56 BRIDGE
Groundwater Fluxes across Interfaces. materials, economically and envi- Review of NASA’s Aerospace Tech- Estimates of groundwater recharge ronmentally, will require under- nology Enterprise: An Assessment of and discharge rates at many dif- standing the flow of materials NASA’s Pioneering Revolutionary Tech- ferent scales are used for evaluating from the time they are extracted, nology Program. The Aeronautics the risks of landslides; managing through processing, manufacturing, and Space Engineering Board of the groundwater resources; locating use, and disposal as waste or reusable National Research Council is in the nuclear waste repositories; and esti- resources. This report examines the midst of a series of studies to review mating global budgets of water usefulness of material flows accounts the National Aeronautics and Space and greenhouse gases. This report as a basis for public policy, evaluates Administration (NASA) Aerospace focuses on scientific challenges: the technical basis for material flows Technology Enterprise for NASA (1) spatial and temporal variability of analysis, assesses the current state of and the Office of Management and recharge and discharge; (2) how material flows information, and sug- Budget. In this report, the second in information at one scale can be used gests who should have institutional the series, the study committee at another scale; and (3) interactions responsibility for collecting, main- addresses questions posed by NASA between groundwater and climate. taining and providing access to data. about the structure and quality of its Paper, $35.00. Paper, $25.00. three aeronautics technology pro- grams: vehicle systems; airspace sys- Health and Medicine: Challenges for the Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals. tems; and aviation safety. The report Chemical Sciences in the 21st Century. Sound is the primary means of provides recommendations to guide This summary of a workshop held in learning about the environment, Congress, the administration, and December 2002 is the last in the of communicating, navigating, and NASA in setting priorities, as well as “Challenges for the Chemical Sci- foraging for the 119 species of findings and recommendations for ences in the 21st Century” series. marine mammals and some other improvements at the program and Topics discussed at the workshop aquatic animals. Concerns have project levels. Paper, $32.00. were: new tools for, and approaches arisen that human-generated noise to, drug discovery, diagnostics, and might harm marine mammals or Technology for Adaptive Aging. Emerg- the prevention of disease; new significantly interfere with their ing and currently available tech- methods of synthesizing and devel- normal activities. Since the pas- nologies have shown great promise oping pharmaceuticals; and new sage of the Marine Mammal Pro- for helping older adults, even if they directions in the manufacture and tection Act of 1972, noise levels have no serious disabilities, to live delivery of medicines. Despite the have been regulated. Public aware- healthy, comfortable, and produc- tremendous accomplishments of ness of the issue escalated in the tive lives. This report is the product chemists and chemical engineers 1990s when researchers began using of a workshop that brought together in the area of health and medicine high-intensity sound to measure experts in aging research and in in recent years, the increasing changes in ocean climate. The technology to discuss applications amount of information poses signif- recent stranding of beaked whales of technology to communication, icant future challenges. With myr- in proximity to areas where the education and learning, employ- iad complex biological processes Navy has used sonar returned the ment, health, living environments, yet to be understood, the situation issue to the spotlight. This report and transportation for older adults. is likely to become more compli- reviews sources of noise in the It includes all of the workshop cated as more pieces of the puzzle ocean environment, the responses papers and a synthesis and evalu- are revealed. Paper, $18.00. of marine mammals to acoustic ation by the organizing committee. disturbances. Recommendations Recommended priorities for federal Materials Count: The Case for Material address data gathering, studies of support of translational research in Flows Analysis. The increasing pop- marine mammal behavior and technology for older adults are also ulation and industrial growth are physiology, and modeling to deter- provided. Paper, $49.00. increasing strains on a variety mine the long-term and short-term of material and energy resources. effects of ocean noise on marine Making the most efficient use of mammals. Paper, $47.00.
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