In the more than 50 years since its
inception as the European Community for Coal and Steel, European
integration has made enormous progress. Today, it comprises 25 member
states, and defines itself not only as an Economic Union and a huge
internal market for 450 million people, but as a Political Union and a
Monetary Union.
Relaunch of the Lisbon Agenda
The main topic in March 2005 was a mid-term review of the ongoing
Lisbon agenda, which could lead to a reform of the whole process. It
was Europe’s aim to become the most dynamic and competitive
knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010, capable of economic
growth with more and better jobs, and greater social cohesion. “This
goal is not wrong,” stated Wim Kok, former Dutch PM, in his report at
the end of 2004, “but there has to be more focus and rigorous
prioritization.” The European Commission endorsed this line of
thinking, and wants national action programs to be drawn up – including
RTD – in order to achieve measurable goals. Instead of the myriad
reports “that no one reads” (to quote Commission President Barroso),
there will be a single Lisbon report at EU level and one at the
national level.
Chief of Staff
House Committee on Science
U.S. House of Representatives
Contact:
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http://www.house.gov/science/welcome.htm
Science Advisor to the President,
Director of the Office of Science &
Technology Policy
contact:
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www.ostp.gov
Have you ever wondered how really
smart people think? Well, I have on lots of occasions and, admittedly,
usually in an attempt at emulation. But let me tell you, it's not for
the faint-hearted – even thinking about how really ingenious people
think requires, well, a lot of thinking. Luckily, there’s a way around
this: elicit some direct advice from people who ought to know.
Theoretical physicists, for instance.
Thomas Brabec, a professor of physics at the University of Ottawa, is
one of these theoretical physicists, which basically means that he does
the thinking part while others, so-called experimental physicists, run
experiments to see whether his thinking amounts to anything worthwhile
in the real world. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the experimental
physicists don’t think. They also are known to think a lot, just not in
quite as pure a manner as theoretical physicists. One might say that
experimental physicists are thinkers with a practical slant and
theoretical physicists are pure thinkers. This is evidenced by the fact
that Thomas Brabec, for instance, spends most of his time just
thinking. Judging by the numerous and very prestigious awards he has
received for his work, one can safely assume that he must be quite good
at it.
Thomas Brabec, a professor of physics at the University of Ottawa, is
one of these theoretical physicists, which basically means that he does
the thinking part while others, so-called experimental physicists, run
experiments to see whether his thinking amounts to anything worthwhile
in the real world. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the experimental
physicists don’t think. They also are known to think a lot, just not in
quite as pure a manner as theoretical physicists. One might say that
experimental physicists are thinkers with a practical slant and
theoretical physicists are pure thinkers. This is evidenced by the fact
that Thomas Brabec, for instance, spends most of his time just
thinking. Judging by the numerous and very prestigious awards he has
received for his work, one can safely assume that he must be quite good
at it.
