Download or read book Science and Technology Committee Annual Report 2005 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-02-27 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first Annual Report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee. Its aims are: make available the principles that guide its work and a summary of its activities; review the impact of its work; and comment on other matters relevant to its work such as the quality and timelines of the responses from Government.
Download or read book Rising Above the Gathering Storm Revisited written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-10-23 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared Rising Above the Gathering Storm, a book that cautioned: "Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of our competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position." Since that time we find ourselves in a country where much has changed-and a great deal has not changed. So where does America stand relative to its position of five years ago when the Gathering Storm book was prepared? The unanimous view of the authors is that our nation's outlook has worsened. The present volume, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited, explores the tipping point America now faces. Addressing America's competitiveness challenge will require many years if not decades; however, the requisite federal funding of much of that effort is about to terminate. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited provides a snapshot of the work of the government and the private sector in the past five years, analyzing how the original recommendations have or have not been acted upon, what consequences this may have on future competitiveness, and priorities going forward. In addition, readers will find a series of thought- and discussion-provoking factoids-many of them alarming-about the state of science and innovation in America. Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited is a wake-up call. To reverse the foreboding outlook will require a sustained commitment by both individual citizens and government officials-at all levels. This book, together with the original Gathering Storm volume, provides the roadmap to meet that goal. While this book is essential for policy makers, anyone concerned with the future of innovation, competitiveness, and the standard of living in the United States will find this book an ideal tool for engaging their government representatives, peers, and community about this momentous issue.
Download or read book The last report written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-11-07 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 28 June 2007, the Prime Minister announced changes to the machinery of Government that had an impact upon the select committee system within the House of Commons. As a result, the Science and Technology Select Committee will be dissolved and replaced by a new Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee at the beginning of the next session of Parliament. This Report explains the role that the Science and Technology Committee has played within Parliament and the science community. It outlines the Committee's innovations, its impact and concerns regarding future science scrutiny in the House of Commons. It concludes that, in the long term, a separate Science and Technology Committee is the only way to guarantee a permanent focus on science across Government within the select committee system and recommends that the House be given an opportunity to revisit this issue.
Download or read book The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States Cfius written by Congressional Research Congressional Research Service and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-08-12 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is comprised of nine members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President representing major departments and agencies within the federal executive branch. While the group generally has operated in relative obscurity, the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed the group's operations under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress and the public. Prompted by this case, some Members of the 109th and 110th Congresses questioned the ability of Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities given the general view that CFIUS's operations lack transparency. Other Members revisited concerns about the linkage between national security and the role of foreign investment in the U.S. economy. Some Members of Congress and others argued that the nation's security and economic concerns have changed since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that these concerns were not being reflected sufficiently in the Committee's deliberations. In addition, anecdotal evidence seemed to indicate that the CFIUS process was not market neutral. Instead, a CFIUS investigation of an investment transaction may have been perceived by some firms and by some in the financial markets as a negative factor that added to uncertainty and may have spurred firms to engage in behavior that may not have been optimal for the economy as a whole. On July 12, 2016, Senator Charles Grassley introduced S. 3161 to include the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member of the CFIUS and to include the national security impact of foreign investments on agricultural assets as part of the criteria the Committee uses in deciding to recommend that the President block a foreign acquisition.
Download or read book Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-07-29 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.
Download or read book Office of Science and Innovation written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-04-03 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scrutiny of the Office of Science and Technology (OSI) is one of the core tasks of the Committee. During the period covered by this report the OSI and DTI Innovation Group have successfully merged and there has been a new performance management system. There has been a welcomed increase in the science budget but the breach of the principle of ring fencing the budget is deprecated. An important part of OSI's work is reviewing the use of science in Government departments. Although these are valuable the pace of review and information available on them needs to be improved.
Download or read book Index to Chairmen written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Chimera s Children written by David Albert Jones and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-11-02 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive survey of the current context and ethical implications of human-nonhuman genetic combinations. The idea of human-nonhuman combinations has been a recurrent theme throughout the history of humanity. From the myths of the Minotaur and the centaurs in ancient Greece to the dogheads of the Middle Ages right through to the monsters of modern science fiction, these beings have always been a source of fascination. In recent years, however, biomedical advances have demonstrated the potential to make these entities a reality through the creation of inter-species combinations. As a result, pressing and perplexing ethical questions arise. Introducing the reader to the historical context of human-nonhuman experimentation and potential future developments, this volume offers clarification, analysis and a thorough overview of the ethical challenges relating to human-nonhuman chimeras, true hybrids, cybrids and other combinations. This book is the first accessible survey of the different ethical dilemmas facing contemporary society in the creation of human-nonhuman embryonic, foetal and postnatal entities. These include important cultural, legal, philosophical and religious perspectives. As such it will act as a springboard for future debate.
Download or read book The Regulatory Enterprise written by Tony Prosser and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of regulation to control behavior is a defining feature of modern government, penetrating a wide range of social and economic life. This book offers a detailed study of how regulation works in practice, its legal framework, and the arguments surrounding its economic and social impact.
Download or read book House of Lords annual report 2006 07 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-12 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: House of Lords annual Report 2006/07
Download or read book Truth Machine written by Michael Lynch and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DNA profiling—commonly known as DNA fingerprinting—is often heralded as unassailable criminal evidence, a veritable “truth machine” that can overturn convictions based on eyewitness testimony, confessions, and other forms of forensic evidence. But DNA evidence is far from infallible. Truth Machine traces the controversial history of DNA fingerprinting by looking at court cases in the United States and United Kingdom beginning in the mid-1980s, when the practice was invented, and continuing until the present. Ultimately, Truth Machine presents compelling evidence of the obstacles and opportunities at the intersection of science, technology, sociology, and law.
Download or read book Congressional Record written by United States. Congress and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 1084 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Nanotechnologies and Food written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nanotechnology and nanomaterials have a range of potential applications in the food sector that may offer benefits to both consumers and industry. But the public's attitude towards food can be influenced by a fear of novel risks, the level of trust in the effectiveness of regulation and other wider social and psychological factors, and use of nanotechnologies in the food sector may well elicit some of these concerns. The Science and Technology Committee criticises the food industry for failing to be transparent about its research into the uses of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. Transparency and honesty are key components for ensuring public trust in both food safety and scientific developments. The Committee also urges the Government and Research Councils adequately to fund research into potential health and safety risks arising from the use of nanomaterials in the food sector. There are significant gaps in the understanding of how nanomaterials impact on the human body, particularly the gut, and it is not currently possible to predict what risks specific nanomaterials may present. The report recommends that the Food Standards Agency should maintain a publicly available register of food and food packaging containing nanomaterials. This register could be made available online. Nanomaterials should be defined clearly in food legislation to ensure that all uses of nanomaterials in food are subject to appropriate risk assessment procedures. The Committee also raises concerns about the potential for the illegal importation of food products containing nanomaterials not approved for use in food in the EU.
Download or read book Research Council Support for Knowledge Transfer written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge transfer is an essential component of innovation. It is defined as "about transferring good ideas, research results and skills between universities, other research organisations, business and the wider community to enable innovative new products and services to be developed". This inquiry focused on the effectiveness of the research councils' knowledge transfer activities with particular respect to: promotion of collaborative working between researchers and partners in industry, including in the creative industries and in Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs); stakeholder engagement and communication; results and performance management and; co-ordination between the councils and the role of Research Councils UK (RCUK). The Committee found weaknesses in strategies for promotion of knowledge transfer. Some Councils focus too narrowly on technology transfer with little attention paid to the wider issues, such as policy development. The councils also focus their attention on informing stakeholders rather than consulting on stakeholder needs. In addition, there is a particular need for the research councils to enhance communication and engagement with the Regional Development Agencies and SMEs. There is little evidence of research council co-ordination or sharing of best practice in knowledge transfer. Also, despite their clear remit to co-ordinate and harmonise, there appears to have been no added value from RCUK in this area. Whilst some councils have a simple funding structure for knowledge transfer, in other cases, a high level of confusion has been created since there are so many schemes in operation. Since the councils conduct little internal impact analysis of their knowledge transfer schemes, it is difficult to see how they can effectively allocate funding to different knowledge transfer activities.
Download or read book Handbook of Policing Ethics and Professional Standards written by Allyson MacVean and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Low confidence in the police and the increasing crime rates during the 1990s led to a series of government initiatives directed at changing both the structure and management of the police service. In 2006 in an attempt to define what a principled police service should resemble, the Home Office Minister, Hazel Blears, announced the development of new Code of Professional Standards for the police service, informed by the Taylor Review of 2005. While there has been a growing awareness of the role of Professional Standards within law enforcement activity, to date there has been little scholarly debate on the understanding of ethics and how that is applied to practical policing. This book provides a single text of different perspectives on how professional standards and ethics has been conceptualised and developed into practical policing processes for the purposes of policing, not only by the police but also by the partner agencies. Leading academics and practitioners consider the moral minefield of policing through examinations of undercover operatives, MI5 and deaths in police custody as well as looking forward to the future considerations and practices in professional conduct. It will be of interest to those working within the field of policing as well as students and academics focussed on policing and criminal justice.
Download or read book HC 734 Current and Future Uses of Biometric Data and Technologies written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015-03-07 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In its broadest sense, biometrics is the measurement and analysis of a biological characteristic (fingerprints, iris patterns, retinas, face or hand geometry) or a behavioural characteristic (voice, gait or signature). Biometric technologies use these characteristics to identify individuals automatically. Unlike identity documents or passwords, biometrics cannot be lost or forgotten since they are a part of the user and are always present at the time of identification. They are also difficult, though not impossible, to forge or share. Three future trends in the application of biometrics were identified during the inquiry: (i) the growth of unsupervised biometric systems, accessed via mobile devices, which verify identity; (ii) the proliferation of "second-generation" biometric technologies that can authenticate individuals covertly; (iii) and the linking of biometric data with other types of 'big data' as part of efforts to profile individuals. Each of these trends introduces risks and benefits to individuals, to the state and to society as a whole. They also raise important ethical and legal questions relating to privacy and autonomy. The Committee are not convinced that the Government has addressed these questions, nor are they satisfied that it has looked ahead and considered how the risks and benefits of biometrics will be managed and communicated to the public.
Download or read book Allergy written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Science and Technology Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-09-26 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allergy in the United Kingdom has now reached epidemic proportions. In the UK the incidence of common allergic diseases has trebled in the last twenty years to become one of the highest in the world. Treatment of allergies is a significant cost to the National Health Service. Allergies can have a detrimental impact upon the education of children at school or the performance of adults at work. There is a severe shortage of allergy specialists in the United Kingdom. Problems with data collection mean that statistics are imprecise, and a significant proportion of general practitioners are unable to diagnose and manage allergic disorders, and have nowhere to refer patients with complex allergies. The report recommends that allergy centres led by a full-time allergist should be developed, where various specialists come together to diagnose and manage patients with complex allergic disorders. These allergy centres should be a source of education and training for doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers at every grade. They should also advance research, enabling effective treatments to be developed, and should provide the clinical database required for epidemiological studies. Clinicians within the allergy centre should work together with local schools, employers, charities and others to educate the general public, and particularly patients and their families, on allergy matters. Other recommendations include: maintaining clinical surveillance systems to monitor allergic disease; calling for further research into the ways in which the indoor environment influences allergy development; reviewing how children with hayfever are supported throughout the examination system; assessing the training that teachers receive in dealing with allergic emergencies; assisting individuals with occupational allergies to return to work; amending food labelling legislation to specify the amount of allergens contained within products; analysing the costs and benefits of immunotherapy treatment; and withdrawing advice which recommends peanut avoidance for pregnant women.
