What's New Friday December 21, 2007

WHAT’S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 21 Dec 07   Washington, DC

1. BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: HUMAN GENETIC VARIATION. 
The journal Science announced in today’s issue that "Human Genetic 
Variation" is the Breakthrough of the Year.  It’s been seven years since 
we learned how we differ from other species.  With faster and cheaper 
sequencing technology, we’re learning how we differ from one another.  

2. BREAKDOWN OF THE YEAR: THE WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE OFFICE. 
In an editorial in Science, Donald Kennedy picked continued denial of 
climate change by the Bush Administration, as the "Breakdown" of the 
year.  He cited the congressional testimony of Julie Gerberding, head of 
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, on the health effects of climate 
warming - it was blacked out by the White House Science Office.

3. SPOKESPERSON OF THE YEAR: WHO SPEAKS FOR SCIENCE?
Nobody - scientists insist on speaking for themselves.  It sounds like a 
prescription for chaos - but the openness of science is its strength.  The 
Administration should try it.  At times, however, science needs a single 
voice.  Like right now - a Baptist minister who calls for creationism is 
in the lead to become the Republican nominee for President, followed 
closely by a Mormon.  Who can speak for science?  There is rumored to be a 
Science Advisor in the White House, but you might as well try to find an 
ivory-billed woodpecker.  The AAAS is the largest general scientific 
society in the world.  Its president, David Baltimore, is great but he’s 
only President for one year - we need some continuity.  The most important 
voice for science in America today may be the Editor of Science.  Donald 
Kennedy is retiring, but AAAS announced today that Bruce Alberts is the 
new editor-in-chief.  We are fortunate to have such people.  What's New 
nominates Bruce Alberts to be the spokesperson for science. 

4. NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR: THE CHAIR OF THE IPCC. 
While Science was choosing its breakthrough of the year, the journal 
Nature was naming Rajendra Pachauri, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize on 
behalf of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as the "Newsmaker 
of the Year."  What a curious recognition.  I admire Pachauri and 
appreciate the important and difficult task he undertook, but 
why "newsmaker"?  That could fit a mass murderer.

5.  POPULATION: U.S. FERTILITY RATE HITS 35-YEAR HIGH.
It has reached the replacement level of 2.  According a story in today’s 
Washington Post by Rob Stein, "It is unique among industrialized 
counties."  "It’s a milestone," according to Stephanie Ventura of the 
National Center for Health Statistics.  "A noteworthy event," said John 
Bogaarts of the Population Council.  Our social systems were predicated on 
growth, they argue, we can’t afford not to grow.   Nonsense, the zero-
population-growth nations are the most liberated and prosperous on the 
planet.   Besides, population generates air pollution, and global warming 
isn’t going to be cheap either.  For half a century, "the pill" has given 
us the technological means to control population.  This happened quietly 
with no trace of the repressive government policies that libertarians 
believed would be necessary to constrain population growth.  

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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