Message to Members: Science Turns 125
AAAS in Action : News to Note
AAAS at Work: Programs at the Forefront
AAAS Announcements: Items of Interest
Read On, Online: Science Sites
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Message to Members
SCIENCE TURNS 125
Dear AAAS Member,
When Thomas A. Edison founded the journal Science in 1880, even his inventor's imagination could not have envisioned the scientific breakthroughs of the past 125 years. In that first issue, dated 3 July, items included the nascent use of electricity as power. In recent years, groundbreaking research papers have covered the human genome, the Bose-Einstein condensate, and the first successful experiment in therapeutic cloning.
On 1 July, the special 125 th anniversary issue of Science will delve into the many mysteries that remain. The issue outlines 125 intriguing unanswered questions. Thought provoking essays detail how 25 of these questions have changed during the last century and a quarter. While Science takes us into the future, the anniversary issue also honors the past with a richly illustrated pull-out poster, “Milestones of Science,” depicting discoveries from 599 BCE to the present.
View the “Happy Birthday Science ” video, introduced by Editor-in-Chief Donald Kennedy, and add your good wishes: http://www.sciencemag.org/125 . Congratulations to all members of AAAS as we continue to advance science and serve society.
Sincerely,
Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS
P.S. Don't miss our Historic Milestone of the Month articles on the Structure of DNA.
Voice Your Opinion
What are the best ways to respond to attacks on science such as efforts to curtail teaching of evolution in U.S. public schools and the controversies surrounding stem cell research? Click here to vote.
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Guarding the Integrity of Science in Classrooms
AAAS is playing a prominent role in countering efforts to weaken or compromise the teaching of evolution in U.S. public school science classrooms. Resources published online include an informational Q&A on evolution and intelligent design and commentary including an op-ed piece on the State of Kansas Board of Education evolution hearings. Go to http://www.aaas.org/news/press_room/evolution/.
Urging Expanded Visa Reforms
On 18 May, AAAS joined a group of 40 leading academic, science, and engineering associations in urging the U.S. government to accelerate its effort to reform the visa process for international students, scholars, and researchers. Noting that progress has been made in the year since the group initially recommended reforms, additional steps were urged to counter the misperception that the United States does not welcome those critical to the country's economic and scientific strength. Read more about the statement and recommendations: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0518visa.shtml.
Building Excellence in Undergraduate STEM Education
A new National Science Foundation-AAAS report, Invention and Impact: Building Excellence in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, studies an innovative inquiry-based education strategy called a “learning community.” From a rural college in Minnesota to an urban campus in New York , innovative teaching projects are working to reverse the decline in U.S. enrollments in undergraduate science and engineering programs. Read about the innovations: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-05/aaft-nre042905.php.
Diversifying the Voices of Science News Reporting
In a continuing program to support minorities in the sciences, AAAS and Science have named the first two recipients of a new summer internship for undergraduate students pursuing careers in science journalism. Read about the interns and their work with Science 's writers and editors: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0517interns.shtml.
AAAS at Work
PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT
Speaking Out for Women in the Work Force
Long dedicated to the development of the S&T workforce, AAAS adds its voice to a call for continued collection of job data on women workers. On 13 May, in a letter to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, AAAS strongly opposed a plan to stop gender data collection stating that monitoring the participation of women workers is critical to policymaking that can identify and support talent within the underrepresented population needed to renew the science and engineering work force. Read about the initiative: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-05/aaft-aca051905.php. Read the letter to OMB: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0519ombletter.shtml.
Protecting Persecuted Scientists
From Russia to Egypt to Guatemala , scientists have received critical support from the AAAS Human Rights Action Network. During 2003 and 2004, the network mobilized the scientific and human rights communities more than once a month, on average, protesting wrongful assaults on scientific freedom around the globe.
Established in 1977, the AAAS Science and Human Rights program carries on the AAAS tradition of defending scientists that dates from the rise of European fascism in the early 1930s. Read more: http://www.aaas.org/news/newsandnotes/inside119.shtml. To download the PDF of the recently published “Directory of Persecuted Scientists,” go to http://shr.aaas.org/dpsehp/. For the CD-ROM edition, call 202-326-6790.
AAAS Announcements
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Historic Milestone of the Month: Structure of DNA
As part of the 2005 celebration of the 125 th anniversary of Science, last December's Voice Your Opinion Poll asked AAAS members to name the leading scientific breakthrough since 1880. Their top choices have been selected for a monthly free-access reprint from the archives of the journal Science , courtesy of Jstor.org. Read “A Molecular Approach in the Systematics of Higher Organisms” ( Science, 22 May, 1964) by B. H. Hoyer, B. J. McCarthy, E. T. Bolton at: http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/pdfs/Article_3.pdfand “High-Specificity DNA Cleavage Agent: Design and Application to Kilobase and Megabase DNA Substrates” ( Science 12 August, 1994) by P. Shannon Pendergrast, Yon W. Ebright, Richard H. Ebright at http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/pdfs/Article_1.pdf.
125 Years of Science : Celebrate in the U.K.
On Thursday 14 July, you are invited to join the editors and staff of the journal Science at a cocktail reception, 7 to 11 pm , Natural History Museum , Cromwell Road , London . All who attend will receive gifts celebrating the 125 th anniversary and AAAS members also will receive a special member pin. An RSVP is required: mailto:125th@science-int.co.uk. For more information, go to http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/125anniversary.shtml.
New Issue: Science Books & Films
The most complex machine on the planet, the mysterious human mind, is featured in the May/June issue of SB&F . Look for intriguing resources including books and web sites for kids and science films and software—more than 150 reviews per issue. To access the PDF file for the new edition, or to subscribe or give a gift subscription to your local school or library, go to http://www.sbfonline.com/2a.htm.
Summer Fun: Lively Science Learning
Keep your children and their friends spellbound throughout the summer with lively science news such as new monkeys in Africa and young canaries singing computer-generated songs. AAAS Science for Kids includes kid-friendly weekly breaking news reports and resources including games. Go to http://aaas.org/port_kid.shtml.
Give Gift of AAAS and Science : Give and Receive
When you give the gift of AAAS membership and 51 issues of Science , you receive the popular AAAS limited edition shirt. Your gift continues week after week with full access to Science Online, Science Archives, Science Careers, discounts on books, exclusive member e-newsletters, and more. To spread scientific knowledge and support the AAAS mission to promote R&D funding, improve science education, and protect scientific freedom worldwide, go to http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/join_spring.html.
Meet Up at Upcoming Events
Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin.
BIO 2005 Annual International Convention , 19-22 June, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Information: http://www.bio.org/events/2005/.
FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies) and IUBMB
(International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) Joint Conference , 2-7
July, Budapest, Hungary. Information: http://www.febs-iubmb-2005.com/.
Society for Experimental Biology , 11-15 July, Barcelona, Spain . Information: http://www.sebiology.org/Meetings/pageview.asp?S=2&mid=&id=19.
American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting, 16-20 July, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. Information: http://www.aspb.org/meetings/pb-2005/.
The Biochemical Society BioScience 2005 , 17-21 July, Glasgow, U.K. Information: http://www.bioscience2005.org/.
READ ON, ONLINE
AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month. Or access http://www.aaas.org/or http://www.scienceonline.org/.