It's no secret that we find ourselves in a confusing and truly paradoxical period of time. The funding outlook, certainly over the long-term, has never been more uncertain or unpredictable as the Administration and the Congress work to balance the Federal budget. At the same time, however, opportunities in research and education have never been more promising or more exciting. The evidence for this exciting era is all around us. I often say that we are on the brink, or perhaps in the midst of, a new golden age of discovery.
New breakthroughs come to light almost daily.
Planets beyond our solar system, new galaxies, comets, dark matter. New elementary particles, like the top quark, and hints of structure within a quark. We are also seeing astounding genetic revelations, such as the switch that controls flowing in plants that can make a tree flower in a few months as opposed to several decades. Breakthroughs in the social sciences are giving us new insights into productivity, decision theory, and economic growth. But what is extraordinary today, is that major breakthroughs seem to be occurring at frequent intervals all across the frontiers of science, engineering and technology.