Editorials in 2009

The US president's delay in naming an NIH director is symptomatic of a widespread problem.

The draft NIH guidelines on stem-cell research are a good first step, but some revision is needed.

Taxpayers deserve to know the cost of ITER, the international fusion project they are paying for.

A hyped-up fossil find highlights the potential dangers of publicity machines.

Researchers who use genetically modified primates need to gear up for the inevitable public debate.

Funding agencies and universities should collaborate to make the most of women in research.

New money must provide stimulus to get carbon capture and storage up and running.

Psychologists have a moral duty to help prevent torture.

The extraordinary emerging images of ocean microbiology need the fourth dimension of time.

The European Parliament has reaffirmed its legislative value by reversing the potentially disruptive restrictions in the draft directive for protecting laboratory animals.

Last year's earthquake in China is a salutary reminder about preparing for risk in the face of uncertainty.

Its attack on poverty and arrogance is what makes C. P. Snow's 'two cultures' lecture relevant today.

Complacency, not overreaction, is the greatest danger posed by the flu pandemic. That's a message scientists would do well to help get across.

The United States should not try to keep its space shuttles flying beyond 2010.

We are clarifying the duties of lead authors and making author-contribution statements mandatory.

Without a solid commitment from the world's leaders, innovative ways to combat climate change are likely to come to nothing.

The United States has finally acknowledged that global warming is a threat. It must now act on that.

Regulatory agencies need to be more proactive in preparing for avant-garde products.