TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - V. C. Patel A2 - F. Stern TI - Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Numerical Ship Hydrodynamics DO - 10.17226/9223 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9223/proceedings-of-the-sixth-international-conference-on-numerical-ship-hydrodynamics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Eighteenth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics SN - DO - 10.17226/1841 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1841/eighteenth-symposium-on-naval-hydrodynamics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - This volume contains technical papers and discussions covering ship motions, ship hydrodynamics, experimental techniques, free-surface aspects, wave/wake dynamics, propeller/hull/appendage interactions, and viscous effects. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Twenty-First Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics SN - DO - 10.17226/5870 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5870/twenty-first-symposium-on-naval-hydrodynamics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Twenty-Second Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics SN - DO - 10.17226/9771 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9771/twenty-second-symposium-on-naval-hydrodynamics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - The Twenty-Second Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics was held in Washington, D.C., from August 9-14, 1998. It coincided with the 100th anniversary of the David Taylor Model Basin. This international symposium was organized jointly by the Office of Naval Research (Mechanics and Energy Conversion S&T Division), the National Research Council (Naval Studies Board), and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (David Taylor Model Basin). This biennial symposium promotes the technical exchange of naval research developments of common interest to all the countries of the world. The forum encourages both formal and informal discussion of the presented papers, and the occasion provides an opportunity for direct communication between international peers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics DO - 10.17226/627 PY - 1986 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/627/atomic-molecular-and-optical-physics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - The goals of atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO physics) are to elucidate the fundamental laws of physics, to understand the structure of matter and how matter evolves at the atomic and molecular levels, to understand light in all its manifestations, and to create new techniques and devices. AMO physics provides theoretical and experimental methods and essential data to neighboring areas of science such as chemistry, astrophysics, condensed-matter physics, plasma physics, surface science, biology, and medicine. It contributes to the national security system and to the nation's programs in fusion, directed energy, and materials research. Lasers and advanced technologies such as optical processing and laser isotope separation have been made possible by discoveries in AMO physics, and the research underlies new industries such as fiber-optics communications and laser-assisted manufacturing. These developments are expected to help the nation to maintain its industrial competitiveness and its military strength in the years to come. This report describes the field, characterizes recent advances, and identifies current frontiers of research. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Why Indoor Chemistry Matters SN - DO - 10.17226/26228 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26228/why-indoor-chemistry-matters PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - People spend the vast majority of their time inside their homes and other indoor environments where they are exposed to a wide range of chemicals from building materials, furnishings, occupants, cooking, consumer products, and other sources. Despite research to date, very little is known about how exposures to indoor chemicals across complex chemical phases and pathways affect human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased public awareness of indoor environments and shed light on the many outstanding questions about how best to manage chemicals indoors. This report identifies gaps in current research and understanding of indoor chemistry and new approaches that can be applied to measure, manage, and limit chemical exposures. Why Indoor Chemistry Matters calls for further research about the chemical transformations that can occur indoors, pathways and timing of indoor chemical exposure, and the cumulative and long-term impacts of exposure on human health. Research priorities should consider factors that contribute to measurable environmental health disparities that affect vulnerable populations, such as the age, location, and condition of buildings that can alter exposures to indoor chemicals. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Tina Masciangioli TI - Chemistry in Primetime and Online: Communicating Chemistry in Informal Environments: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/13106 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13106/chemistry-in-primetime-and-online-communicating-chemistry-in-informal-environments PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Education AB - It is critical that we increase public knowledge and understanding of science and technology issues through formal and informal learning for the United States to maintain its competitive edge in today's global economy. Since most Americans learn about science outside of school, we must take advantage of opportunities to present chemistry content on television, the Internet, in museums, and in other informal educational settings. In May 2010, the National Academies' Chemical Sciences Roundtable held a workshop to examine how the public obtains scientific information informally and to discuss methods that chemists can use to improve and expand efforts to reach a general, nontechnical audience. Workshop participants included chemical practitioners (e.g., graduate students, postdocs, professors, administrators); experts on informal learning; public and private funding organizations; science writers, bloggers, publishers, and university communications officers; and television and Internet content producers. Chemistry in Primetime and Online is a factual summary of what occurred in that workshop. Chemistry in Primetime and Online examines science content, especially chemistry, in various informal educational settings. It explores means of measuring recognition and retention of the information presented in various media formats and settings. Although the report does not provide any conclusions or recommendations about needs and future directions, it does discuss the need for chemists to connect more with professional writers, artists, or videographers, who know how to communicate with and interest general audiences. It also emphasizes the importance of formal education in setting the stage for informal interactions with chemistry and chemists. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Communicating Chemistry: A Framework for Sharing Science: A Practical Evidence-Based Guide SN - DO - 10.17226/23444 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23444/communicating-chemistry-a-framework-for-sharing-science-a-practical-evidence PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Education AB - A growing body of evidence indicates that, increasingly, the public is engaging with science in a wide range of informal environments, which can be any setting outside of school such as community-based programs, festivals, libraries, or home. Yet undergraduate and graduate schools often don’t prepare scientists for public communication. This practical guide is intended for any chemist – that is, any professional who works in chemistry-related activities, whether research, manufacturing or policy – who wishes to improve their informal communications with the public. At the heart of this guide is a framework, which was presented in the report Effective Chemistry Communication in Informal Environments and is based on the best available empirical evidence from the research literature on informal learning, science communication, and chemistry education. The framework consists of five elements which can be applied broadly to any science communication event in an informal setting. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Effective Chemistry Communication in Informal Environments SN - DO - 10.17226/21790 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21790/effective-chemistry-communication-in-informal-environments PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Education AB - Chemistry plays a critical role in daily life, impacting areas such as medicine and health, consumer products, energy production, the ecosystem, and many other areas. Communicating about chemistry in informal environments has the potential to raise public interest and understanding of chemistry around the world. However, the chemistry community lacks a cohesive, evidence-based guide for designing effective communication activities. This report is organized into two sections. Part A: The Evidence Base for Enhanced Communication summarizes evidence from communications, informal learning, and chemistry education on effective practices to communicate with and engage publics outside of the classroom; presents a framework for the design of chemistry communication activities; and identifies key areas for future research. Part B: Communicating Chemistry: A Framework for Sharing Science is a practical guide intended for any chemists to use in the design, implementation, and evaluation of their public communication efforts. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Atoms, Molecules, and Light: AMO Science Enabling the Future SN - DO - 10.17226/10516 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10516/atoms-molecules-and-light-amo-science-enabling-the-future PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - With the publication in 1994 of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science: An Investment in the Future (the FAMOS report), the National Research Council launched the series Physics in a New Era, its latest survey of physics. Each of the six area volumes in the survey focuses on a different subfield of physics, describing advances since the last decadal survey and suggesting future opportunities and directions. This survey culminated in 2001 with the publication of the seventh and final volume, Physics in a New Era: An Overview. Since the publication of the FAMOS report, the developments in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) science have been amazing. Significant advances in areas such as cooling and trapping, atom and quantum optics, single-atom and single-molecule detection, and ultrafast and ultra intense phenomena, along with the emergence of new applications, made it clear that an update of the FAMOS report was needed. With support from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, the Committee for an Updated Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science was formed. The committee's statement of task reads as follows: The committee will prepare a narrative document that portrays the advances in AMO science and its impact on society. This report highlights selected forefront areas of AMO science, emphasizing recent accomplishments and new opportunities, identifies connections between AMO science and other scientific fields, emerging technologies, and national needs, describes career opportunities for AMO scientists. To accomplish its task and at the same time reach a broad audience, the committee decided to present its report in the form of a brochure highlighting selected advances, connections, and impacts on national needs. An exhaustive assessment of the field, which will fall within the purview of the next decadal survey, was not the goal of the update. The committee would like to express its gratitude for the informative interactions it had with many scientists and policy makers. Many colleagues completed a questionnaire and suggested topics to be included in this report. The final selection of topics was made in accordance with the criteria set forth in the statement of task. While this report was still being written, the tragic events of September 11, 2001, occurred. AMO science and its applications have already played and will continue to play a central role in our nation's response to terrorist threats from conventional as well as chemical or biological weapons. Some of the technology discussed in this report in the chapter "AMO Science Enhancing National Defense" was used successfully for the U.S. military response in Afghanistan—the Global Positioning System (GPS) and laser-guided munitions are just two examples. AMO science will also enable the development of early detection techniques that will help to neutralize the threat from biological and chemical agents. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - Marcia Bartusiak TI - Einstein's Unfinished Symphony: Listening to the Sounds of Space-Time DO - 10.17226/9821 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9821/einsteins-unfinished-symphony-listening-to-the-sounds-of-space-time PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Explore Science KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - A new generation of observatories, now being completed worldwide, will give astronomers not just a new window on the cosmos but a whole new sense with which to explore and experience the heavens above us. Instead of collecting light waves or radio waves, these novel instruments will allow astronomers to at last place their hands upon the fabric of space-time and feel the very rhythms of the universe. These vibrations in space-time—or gravity waves—are the last prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity yet to be observed directly. They are his unfinished symphony, waiting nearly a century to be heard. When they finally reveal themselves to astronomers, we will for the first time be able to hear the cymbal crashes from exploding stars, tune in to the periodic drumbeats from swiftly rotating pulsars, listen to the extended chirps from the merger of two black holes, and eavesdrop on the remnant echoes from the mighty jolt of the Big Bang itself. When Einstein introduced general relativity in 1915, it was hailed as a momentous conceptual achievement. Einstein attained celebrity status. But, once scientists verified what they could of the theory, given the scant experiments available at the time, general relativity became "largely a theoretical curiosity," writes Marcia Bartusiak. Now, after decades of technological advancement, general relativity is being tested with unprecedented accuracy. It even affects our everyday lives. Satellites used by both travelers and soldiers to peg their positions require constant corrections of Einsteinian precision. Meanwhile, the first gravity-wave "telescopes"—including the LIGO facility—are about to come alive. In Einstein's Unfinished Symphony, Bartusiak captures the excitement as two gravity-wave observatories in Louisiana and Washington State, as well as others in Italy, Germany, and Japan, approach operation and physicists gear up to begin their work to register the long-predicted quakes in space-time. With each chapter, Bartusiak continues her musical metaphor in tracing the story of general relativity, from the time "Maestro" Einstein enters physics, through the "Starlight Waltz" of neutron stars twisting space-time around themselves, to the "Dissonant Chords" of controversy as physicists fight to get their radically new observatories approved, through the "Finale" as a worldwide endeavor in gravity-wave astronomy is launched. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Materials Research to Meet 21st-Century Defense Needs SN - DO - 10.17226/10631 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10631/materials-research-to-meet-21st-century-defense-needs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - In order to achieve the revolutionary new defense capabilities offered by materials science and engineering, innovative management to reduce the risks associated with translating research results will be needed along with the R&D. While payoff is expected to be high from the promising areas of materials research, many of the benefits are likely to be evolutionary. Nevertheless, failure to invest in more speculative areas of research could lead to undesired technological surprises. Basic research in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science will provide the seeds for potentially revolutionary technologies later in the 21st century. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - Marcia F. Bartusiak A2 - Barbara Burke A2 - Andrew Chaikin A2 - Addison Greenwood A2 - T.A. Heppenheimer A2 - Michelle Hoffman A2 - David Holzman A2 - Elizabeth J. Maggio A2 - Anne Simon Moffat TI - A Positron Named Priscilla: Scientific Discovery at the Frontier SN - DO - 10.17226/2110 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2110/a-positron-named-priscilla-scientific-discovery-at-the-frontier PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Explore Science KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - A Positron Named Priscilla is a book of wonder, offering a fascinating, readable overview of cutting-edge investigations by many of today's leading young scientists. Written for anyone who loves science, this volume reports on some of the most exciting recent discoveries and advances in fields from astronomy to molecular biology. This new book is from one of the world's most prestigious scientific institutions, the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy provides an annual forum for the brightest young investigators to exchange ideas across disciplines—an exchange that was the spark for A Positron Named Priscilla. Each chapter is authored by a popular science writer who offers helpful historical perspectives, clear and well-illustrated explanations of current scientific thinking, and previews of future developments. The scope of topics and breadth of discussion ensure interest at all levels. Topics include: Planetary science and the compelling glimpse through the clouded atmosphere of Venus afforded by the spacecraft Magellan. Astrophysics and the emergence of helioseismology, a new field that allows researchers to probe the interior workings of the sun. Biology and what we have learned about DNA in the 40 years since its discovery; our current understanding of protein molecules, the "building blocks" of living systems; and the high-tech search for answers to the AIDS epidemic. Physics and our new-found ability to move and manipulate individual atoms on a surface. The book also tells the remarkable story of "buckyballs," or buckminsterfullerenes, a form of carbon discovered only a few years ago, that have the potential to be used in a variety of important applications, from superconductivity to nanotechnology. Mathematics and the rise of "wavelet" theory, and how mathematicians are applying it in sometimes startling ways, from assisting the FBI with fingerprint storage to coaxing the secrets from a battered recording of Brahms playing the piano. Geosciences and the search for "clocks in the earth" to make life-saving earthquake predictions. A Positron Named Priscilla is a "must" read for anyone who wants to keep up with a broad range of scientific endeavor. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - David Lindley TI - Degrees Kelvin: A Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy SN - DO - 10.17226/10736 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10736/degrees-kelvin-a-tale-of-genius-invention-and-tragedy PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Explore Science KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - AB - LORD KELVIN. In 1840, a precocious 16-year-old by the name of William Thomson spent his summer vacation studying an extraordinarily sophisticated mathematical controversy. His brilliant analysis inspired lavish praise and made the boy an instant intellectual celebrity. As a young scholar William dazzled a Victorian society enthralled with the seductive authority and powerful beauty of scientific discovery. At a time when no one really understood heat, light, electricity, or magnetism, Thomson found key connections between them, laying the groundwork for two of the cornerstones of 19th century science -- the theories of electromagnetism and thermodynamics. Charismatic, confident, and boyishly handsome, Thomson was not a scientist who labored quietly in a lab, plying his trade in monkish isolation. When scores of able tinkerers were flummoxed by their inability to adapt overland telegraphic cables to underwater, intercontinental use, Thomson took to the high seas with new equipment that was to change the face of modern communications. And as the world’s navies were transitioning from wooden to iron ships, they looked to Thomson to devise a compass that would hold true even when surrounded by steel. Gaining fame and wealth through his inventive genius, Thomson was elevated to the peerage by Queen Victoria for his many achievements. He was the first scientist ever to be so honored. Indeed, his name survives in the designation of degrees Kelvin, the temperature scale that begins with absolute zero, the point at which atomic motion ceases and there is a complete absence of heat. Sir William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, was Great Britain's unrivaled scientific hero. But as the century drew to a close and Queen Victoria's reign ended, this legendary scientific mind began to weaken. He grudgingly gave way to others with a keener, more modern vision. But the great physicist did not go quietly. With a ready pulpit at his disposal, he publicly proclaimed his doubts over the existence of atoms. He refused to believe that radioactivity involved the transmutation of elements. And believing that the origin of life was a matter beyond the expertise of science and better left to theologians, he vehemently opposed the doctrines of evolution, repeatedly railing against Charles Darwin. Sadly, this pioneer of modern science spent his waning years arguing that the Earth and the Sun could not be more than 100 million years old. And although his early mathematical prowess had transformed our understanding of the forces of nature, he would never truly accept the revolutionary changes he had helped bring about, and it was others who took his ideas to their logical conclusion. In the end Thomson came to stand for all that was old and complacent in the world of 19th century science. Once a scientific force to be reckoned with, a leader to whom others eagerly looked for answers, his peers in the end left him behind -- and then meted out the ultimate punishment for not being able to keep step with them. For while they were content to bury him in Westminster Abbey alongside Isaac Newton, they used his death as an opportunity to write him out of the scientific record, effectively denying him his place in history. Kelvin’s name soon faded from the headlines, his seminal ideas forgotten, his crucial contributions overshadowed. Destined to become the definitive biography of one of the most important figures in modern science, Degrees Kelvin unravels the mystery of a life composed of equal parts triumph and tragedy, hubris and humility, yielding a surprising and compelling portrait of a complex and enigmatic man. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Analytic Research Foundations for the Next-Generation Electric Grid SN - DO - 10.17226/21919 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21919/analytic-research-foundations-for-the-next-generation-electric-grid PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Energy and Energy Conservation KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Electricity is the lifeblood of modern society, and for the vast majority of people that electricity is obtained from large, interconnected power grids. However, the grid that was developed in the 20th century, and the incremental improvements made since then, including its underlying analytic foundations, is no longer adequate to completely meet the needs of the 21st century. The next-generation electric grid must be more flexible and resilient. While fossil fuels will have their place for decades to come, the grid of the future will need to accommodate a wider mix of more intermittent generating sources such as wind and distributed solar photovoltaics. Achieving this grid of the future will require effort on several fronts. There is a need for continued shorter-term engineering research and development, building on the existing analytic foundations for the grid. But there is also a need for more fundamental research to expand these analytic foundations. Analytic Research Foundations for the Next-Generation Electric Grid provide guidance on the longer-term critical areas for research in mathematical and computational sciences that is needed for the next-generation grid. It offers recommendations that are designed to help direct future research as the grid evolves and to give the nation's research and development infrastructure the tools it needs to effectively develop, test, and use this research. ER - TY - BOOK TI - (NAS Colloquium) Elliptic Curves and Modular Forms DO - 10.17226/6235 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6235/nas-colloquium-elliptic-curves-and-modular-forms PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Surveys and Statistics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Maureen Mellody TI - Robust Methods for the Analysis of Images and Videos for Fisheries Stock Assessment: Summary of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/18986 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18986/robust-methods-for-the-analysis-of-images-and-videos-for-fisheries-stock-assessment PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Agriculture KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat. As part of this charge, NMFS conducts stock assessments of the abundance and composition of fish stocks in several bodies of water. At present, stock assessments rely heavily on human data-gathering and analysis. Automatic means of fish stock assessments are appealing because they offer the potential to improve efficiency and reduce human workload and perhaps develop higher-fidelity measurements. The use of images and video, when accompanies by appropriate statistical analyses of the inferred data, is of increasing importance for estimating the abundance of species and their age distributions. Robust Methods for the Analysis of Images and Videos for Fisheries Stock Assessment is the summary of a workshop convened by the National Research Council Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics to discuss analysis techniques for images and videos for fisheries stock assessment. Experts from diverse communities shared perspective about the most efficient path toward improved automation of visual information and discussed both near-term and long-term goals that can be achieved through research and development efforts. This report is a record of the presentations and discussions of this event. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Strengthening Data Science Methods for Department of Defense Personnel and Readiness Missions SN - DO - 10.17226/23670 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23670/strengthening-data-science-methods-for-department-of-defense-personnel-and-readiness-missions PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness), referred to throughout this report as P&R, is responsible for the total force management of all Department of Defense (DoD) components including the recruitment, readiness, and retention of personnel. Its work and policies are supported by a number of organizations both within DoD, including the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), and externally, including the federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) that work for DoD. P&R must be able to answer questions for the Secretary of Defense such as how to recruit people with an aptitude for and interest in various specialties and along particular career tracks and how to assess on an ongoing basis service members' career satisfaction and their ability to meet new challenges. P&R must also address larger-scale questions, such as how the current realignment of forces to the Asia-Pacific area and other regions will affect recruitment, readiness, and retention. While DoD makes use of large-scale data and mathematical analysis in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and elsewhere—exploiting techniques such as complex network analysis, machine learning, streaming social media analysis, and anomaly detection—these skills and capabilities have not been applied as well to the personnel and readiness enterprise. Strengthening Data Science Methods for Department of Defense Personnel and Readiness Missions offers and roadmap and implementation plan for the integration of data analysis in support of decisions within the purview of P&R. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Reducing the Threat of Improvised Explosive Device Attacks by Restricting Access to Explosive Precursor Chemicals SN - DO - 10.17226/24862 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24862/reducing-the-threat-of-improvised-explosive-device-attacks-by-restricting-access-to-explosive-precursor-chemicals PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can be deployed in a variety of ways, and can cause loss of life, injury, and property damage in both military and civilian environments. Terrorists, violent extremists, and criminals often choose IEDs because the ingredients, components, and instructions required to make IEDs are highly accessible. In many cases, precursor chemicals enable this criminal use of IEDs because they are used in the manufacture of homemade explosives (HMEs), which are often used as a component of IEDs. Many precursor chemicals are frequently used in industrial manufacturing and may be available as commercial products for personal use. Guides for making HMEs and instructions for constructing IEDs are widely available and can be easily found on the internet. Other countries restrict access to precursor chemicals in an effort to reduce the opportunity for HMEs to be used in IEDs. Although IED attacks have been less frequent in the United States than in other countries, IEDs remain a persistent domestic threat. Restricting access to precursor chemicals might contribute to reducing the threat of IED attacks and in turn prevent potentially devastating bombings, save lives, and reduce financial impacts. Reducing the Threat of Improvised Explosive Device Attacks by Restricting Access to Explosive Precursor Chemicals prioritizes precursor chemicals that can be used to make HMEs and analyzes the movement of those chemicals through United States commercial supply chains and identifies potential vulnerabilities. This report examines current United States and international regulation of the chemicals, and compares the economic, security, and other tradeoffs among potential control strategies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation SN - DO - 10.17226/13491 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13491/optics-and-photonics-essential-technologies-for-our-nation PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet. As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad—including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics. Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas. ER -