World View

Before research can rebuild the US economy it must learn from the prosperous heyday of the military–industrial complex, says Daniel Sarewitz.

To avoid throwing talent on the scrap heap and to boost prospects, a new type of scientific post for researchers is needed, says Jennifer Rohn.

Some effects diminish when tests are repeated. Jonathan Schooler says being open about findings that don't make the scientific record could reveal why.

A new water strategy from the Chinese government is a step in the right direction, says Chaoqing Yu. But it will be difficult to put into practice.

To fix the drug pipeline, governments must take on drug-makers instead of capitulating to their every demand, says Colin Macilwain.

Tim Radford takes aim at the popular myth that researchers are hopeless at explaining their work to a general audience.

The world's indifference to a request for $3.6 billion to preserve a diversity hot spot may push the country to extract oil there, says Kelly Swing.

Scientific leaders have been too quick to praise the reprieve for research money, says Colin Macilwain. The slashing of teaching funds will do real damage.

Synthetic chemist David Nichols describes how his research on psychedelic compounds has been abused — with fatal consequences.

Scientists must reach across the divide and speak up for campus colleagues in arts and humanities departments, says Gregory Petsko.

We need to break with the past to develop new medicines, says Garret FitzGerald. An interdisciplinary NIH centre points the way.

Female researchers still battle sexism. The media gives them an opportunity to be heard alongside male colleagues, says Jennifer Rohn

Globalization means that Earth's life-support system can no longer be treated as separate from the socio–economic system, says Sybil Seitzinger.

Next week's climate meeting in Mexico should avoid talk of more ambitious targets, says Yvo de Boer. First, we need people to believe in green growth.

Beware the urge to direct research too closely, says Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail. History teaches us the value of free scientific inquisitiveness.

Politicians who seek economic recovery should look beyond the budget of the National Science Foundation, argues Daniel Sarewitz.

Researchers must take a more aggressive approach to counter shoddy journalism and set the scientific record straight, says Simon L. Lewis.

A revised research spending plan won't meet the challenges Britain faces from its international competitors or from climate change, argues David King.

As public funds dwindle, long-standing divisions between engineers and scientists over their status in society will be laid bare, says Colin Macilwain.

Freely provided working code — whatever its quality — improves programming and enables others to engage with your research, says Nick Barnes.