A White House Science Conference? Don't Bet on It

摘要

The infrequent meetings of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) are usually placid, public bull sessions of no discernible consequence on policy or politics. The latest, the fifth since Bill Clinton established PCAST two years ago, continued that tradition on April 18-19, though with one minor deviation in the proceedings: A bit of tension over a proposal to prod the President into championing academic research via a White House conference—an extravaganza cherished by interest groups as the ultimate public stage.