Blogposts will be scarce…

Science Magazine’s Adrian Cho has the story, here. This is a long complicated tale….when I was up on the Hill in the late 1970’s, fusion energy was in my portfolio. My own opinion is that if human’s are to thrive and eventually colonize space, we’re going to have to figure out how to do this.

The report estimates that 1 in 68 children has autism spectrum disorder. The announcement is here. The actual report is here. There is a great deal of geographic heterogeneity in the data (Alabama 1/175, New Jersey 1/45) which I suspect has more to do with general differences in health care delivery rather than the environment.

The change in the prevalence is indeed worrying. One has to wonder whether this is a real increase or rather represents increased awareness of autism among those doing the diagnosing. It would also be very interesting to see the global data if it exists. I guess the other question I would have is what percentage of those diagnosed are high functioning (as in Aspergers).

1. Max Tegmark’s book on multiverses
2. Simon Winder’s personal travelogue history of Habsburg Europe, Danubia
3. Thomas Piketty’s new book on inequality, Capital in the 21st Century
4. Gerald K. O’Neill’s 1976 book on space colonies, The High Frontier

On the whole, 2013 was not as disastrous for science as I had feared. Both here at the Krasnow Institute and nationally, the worst effects of the federal budget debacle seem to have been managed or at least ameliorated. Our students continue to make us proud with their scholarship. Our faculty continue to make really substantive contributions to their fields, and our staff make it possible for all of that to happen. So I thank everyone.

Looking forward, in the coming months we will begin implementing our Institute-wide strategic plan. This includes plans for seriously stepping up our research funding in some pretty novel ways, making the case to our donors for funding Phase III of the Krasnow facility and introducing a new emphasis of the Institute: the intersection of science and art, within the global context of human and animal cognition. So big plans ahead, time to execute.

I wish all of the loyal readers of Advanced Study a very happy and prosperous 2014.

This year’s group photo: George Mason’s Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study

Just in time to resume blogging. Having spent some quality time in some of the less metropolitan parts of the US, I’ll simply note this piece in today’s US edition of the Financial Times. My readers can draw their own conclusions.

I just took this photo from the Institute mezzanine looking down towards the Great Room. The Institute’s “forest”, home to pileated woodpeckers, foxes and deer, lies in summer livery, green just beyond the windows.

It’s quiet here this time of year. Our doctoral students are still ubiquitous, but faculty are mostly on their summer travels, at scientific meetings, symposia and the like all over the world.

For me, this marks the end of my fifteenth year as director. I’ve watched a lot of changes, mostly all positive. The Institute has progressed through its adolescence and is now both stable and healthy. The challenge of course will be to keep our “fire in the mind”–to quote my friend George Johnson.

To me, that means continuing to take scientific risks, to insist on scientific excellence and to break down the barriers to gaining further knowledge, even when those barriers are formidable.

I’m lucky to serve with a brilliant scientific faculty, outstanding trainees and the best staff that an institute director could ever hope to have. At the same time, the University has transitioned to new leadership, it’s best days are still ahead of it and I’m as optimistic about the future as I’ve ever been.

Friday, I’m off to Alaska for some vacation time. I hope to read as little email as possible and to concentrate on the spectacular natural beauty of our planet–all too vulnerable, yet made all the more precious for that vulnerability.

A blog hiatus is therefore to be expected. We’ll be back around the 11th of July. Happy Summer!

1) Strange Rebels, 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century by Christian Caryl. Amazon Link is here.

2) Latest issue of The Biological Bulletin, note the gorgeous blue crab on the cover, here.

3) Special intellectual property section of today’s FT, here.

4) Robert Caro’s latest LBJ volume. Amazon link here.

Preliminary edition released to the public [pdf] is here.