The elite JASON defense science advisory panel, most of whose deliberations and conclusions are classified, surfaced publicly for a moment with two new releases.
One new JASON report addresses the feasibility of reducing Defense Department dependence on fossil fuels.
“In light of an increasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, as well as rising fuel costs for the U.S. and the DoD, and implications with regard to national security and national defense, JASON was charged in 2006 by the DDR&E [Director, Defense Research and Engineering] with assessing pathways to reduce DoD’s dependence on fossil fuels.”
A copy of the report was obtained by Secrecy News.
See “Reducing DoD Fossil-Fuel Dependence,” JASON report JSR-06-135, September 2006 (105 pages, 4.5 MB PDF).
The second release is an unclassified summary of a JASON review of plutonium aging in nuclear weapons, which found that most plutonium weapon “pits” have “credible lifetimes of at least 100 years.” This important conclusion diminishes the case for any new nuclear weapon development.
See the unclassified executive summary (pdf) of the JASON report on “Pit Lifetime” (flagged by ArmsControlWonk.com).
The incoming administration must act to address bias in medical technology at the development, testing and regulation, and market-deployment and evaluation phases.
Increasingly, U.S. national security priorities depend heavily on bolstering the energy security of key allies, including developing and emerging economies. But U.S. capacity to deliver this investment is hamstrung by critical gaps in approach, capability, and tools.
Most federal agencies consider the start of the hiring process to be the development of the job posting, but the process really begins well before the job is posted and the official clock starts.
The new Administration should announce a national talent surge to identify, scale, and recruit into innovative teacher preparation models, expand teacher leadership opportunities, and boost the profession’s prestige.