Environmental Issues Behavioral and Social Sciences Space New at the National Academies
Environmental Issues
Secondary Waste Should Be Disposed Off-Site Whenever Possible
Much of the secondary waste produced during the U.S. Army's chemical agent destruction program can and should be dealt with at off-site facilities while destruction operations are carried out, according to a new National Research Council Report.
Behavioral and Social Sciences
First Days and Weeks After Prison Release Are Crucial
Prison, parole, and community authorities should intensify services for prisoners immediately before and after their release, says a new report from the National Research Council. Deaths of ex-prisoners and the commission of new crimes are extremely high in the first days and weeks after release. Specific services -- especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, and drug treatment coupled with surveillance -- reduce recidivism significantly, the report notes.
Space
Limits of Organic Life in the Universe
Life with an alternative biochemistry to that of life on Earth may be possible elsewhere in the universe, according to a new report from the National Research Council. It says the search for extraterrestrial life should be broadened to consider this possibility and recommends research and missions in which the federal government should invest to increase our knowledge in this area.
New at the National Academies
New NAE President Arrives
Charles Vest begins a six-year term as the new president of the National Academy of Engineering this month. Vest, a mechanical engineer, is president emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Elected to the NAE in 1993, he has participated in a number of National Academies studies, including the landmark 2007 report Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, which focused on the key role science and engineering play in U.S. innovation and international competitiveness.
