Organization: Penn State University
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 22:49:15 EST
From: <WTU@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: "What's New" Nov-20-1992

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Date:      Fri, 20 Nov 92 13:32:50 PST
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From:      "Janice Smith" <VP.APS@STANFORD.BITNET>
Subject:   What's New for 11-20-92

WHAT'S NEW (in my opinion), Friday, 20 Nov 92      Washington, DC

1. COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF NSF REAFFIRMS NSF'S BASIC MISSION!
The brief Commission report, entitled "A Foundation for the 21st
Century," was received by the NSB this morning. William Danforth,
co-chair of the Commission, who is a physician by training, said
that diagnosis comes before treatment.  But the diagnosis was in
the nature of, "the patient doesn't have a fever."  As the
report says, "Failures in the market place have not been a result
of slow transfer of academic science to industry....The universi-
ties and the NSF should complement rather than replace the roles
of those engaged in technology development. Redirecting the NSF's
activities from research and education would have little or no
effect on the US competitive position in the near term, but would
severely restrict prospects for the long term." Later, at a press
conference, a puzzled reporter asked: "There is much reaffirma-
tion; what is there in the report that calls for change?"

2. WALTER MASSEY SAW THE COMMISSION REPORT AS A CALL FOR CHANGE.
In Massey's view, the Commission recognized a need for "a greater
integration of science and engineering research into society," a
"more active use of partnerships, especially with industry," and
support for research that "links science and technology."  Massey
remarked on the "gratifying" interest of the scientific community
through the more than 800 letters that were ultimately received.

3. REVIEW PANEL EXONERATES LOW FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS!
In 1989, a 3-part article in the New Yorker by professional fear-
monger Paul Brodeur warned that EMF causes miscarriages, induces
cancer and addles our brains, and the electric industry and the
federal government have conspired to conceal the facts from the
public. At the request of OSTP, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
convened a highly qualified panel of scientists to conduct the
most thorough independent review of the evidence to date.  Last
Friday, the panel reported that there is no convincing evidence
that exposure to EMF poses a health hazard--and no justification
for expanded research into EMF health effects.  Panic generated
by the Brodeur articles has already cost billions in law suits,
relocated power lines, redesigned equipment, magnetic shielding
and postponed expansion of power distribution.  Will this report
end the controversy?  Of course not.  An entire industry (includ-
ing researchers) is now dependent on the fear of an EMF hazard.

4. AND SPEAKING OF WASTED BILLIONS, THE SHUTTLE MUST BE REPLACED
if the US space industry is to compete, according to a task group
of the Vice President's Space Policy Advisory Board.  Yesterday,
the panel put shuttle launch costs at about $24,000/lb--6 times
the price of gold on the spot market.  But in a public forum at
Texas A&M on Wednesday, Deputy NASA Administrator Aaron Cohen was
still calling for adding another shuttle to the fleet. The task
group did not call for a heavy lift vehicle, but for a system
that could launch 10 to 25 tons; the shuttle capacity is 16 tons.

Robert L. Park  (202) 662-8700      The American Physical Society

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