Science rules future by Claudia Sonea

Technology represents the future of mankind. In 2006 there was established a panel of the most accomplished engineers and scientists of their generation with the purpose to make a list of the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century that would actually improve people's life. The US National Academy of Engineering has unveiled a list of 14 tasks on Friday. At the request of the US National Science Foundation a diverse committee of experts from around the world met several times to discuss and develop the list of challenges. Larry Page, committee member and Google co-founder, states that technology has greatly improved farming and manufacturing, thus the quality of life being improved itself and the future might be brighter if they focus on the important grand challenges of their age. Another masterpiece of technology helped into giving to their effort worldwide input by using an interactive Web site where prominent engineers and scientists, as well as the general public, over a one-year period, had the possibility to communicate and share their thoughts on the matter. Finally, all conclusions were reviewed by more than 50 subject-matter experts who established four themes that are essential for humanity to flourish: sustainability, health, reducing vulnerability, and joy of living. The main goal of the committee was to identify what needs to be done to help people and the planet thrive, rather than include every important challenge or to endorse particular approaches to meeting those selected, according to its members. Committee chair and former US secretary of defense William Perry confessed that their intention was to lay stress on engineering challenges that through creativity and commitment can be realistically met and that should be achieved as soon as possible. In spite of the fact that the challenges were not ranked, among them there were some like making solar energy affordable, providing energy from fusion, managing the nitrogen cycle, providing access to clean water around the world, reverse-engineering the human brain, preventing nuclear terror and securing cyberspace among others. Furthermore, you can express your own opinion on the matter because NAE is offering the public an opportunity to vote on which one they think is most important and to provide comments at the project Web site: www.engineeringchallenges.org. Have you already voted?

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080216/ts_afp/ussciencetechnologyengineering;_ylt=AuSUjCHf9XzFq4a7cJmrcius0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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