“Secrecy,” a well-reviewed documentary on national security secrecy, begins a theatrical run this month in selected theaters around the country.
By identifying secrecy as a problem, filmmakers Peter Galison and Robb Moss implicitly adopt a critical stance towards their subject matter. But they also make a determined effort to present articulate defenders of secrecy policy alongside the critics (among whom I play a minor role). And they do not impose an artificial resolution on the disagreements that are expressed, as there is none in reality.
Above all, Secrecy does a courtesy to the participants and to the audience by taking the subject seriously. Also, it’s beautifully made. A schedule of upcoming screenings along with other background information can be found on the film website.
No one will be surprised if we end up with a continuing resolution to push our shutdown deadline out past the midterms, so the real question is what else will they get done this summer?
Rebuilding public participation starts with something simple — treating the public not as a problem to manage, but as a source of ingenuity government cannot function without.
If the government wants a system of learning and adaptation that improves results in real time, it has to treat translation, utilization, and adaptation as core functions of governance rather than as afterthoughts.
Coordination among federal science agencies is essential to ensure government-wide alignment on R&D investment priorities. However, the federal R&D enterprise suffers from egregious siloization.