DEPS Podcasts

Podcasts of DEPS reports are part of The National Academies' "Sounds of Science" weekly audio series. These podcasts put "a spotlight on the high-impact work of the National Academies. Focusing on a wide range of critical issues in science, engineering, and medicine, these short 10-minute episodes are a quick and easy way to tune in to all the key findings and important recommendations made by the Academies."

America's Energy Future

Responding to a new sense of urgency about the nation's energy future and drawing on its principal strengths and reputation, the National Academies has launched an ambitious new effort designed to provide an authoritative analysis. Last week the National Academies hosted a two-day summit to provide an overview of recent influential energy studies and initiatives. This podcasts briefly looks at the importance of that event and finding new sources of energy to secure our energy future. Learn more about the National Academies' Energy Initiative

Show Me The (Fake) Money

Report released 02.26.07
The rapid pace at which digital printing is advancing is posing a very serious challenge to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Printing (BEP) to stay ahead of the evolving counterfeiting threats to U.S. currency. To help meet that challenge, the BEP asked the NRC to undertake an assessment of technologies and methods to produce designs to enhance the security of U.S. Federal Reserve notes (FRNs). This report presents the results of a systematic investigation of the trends in digital imaging and printing and how they enable emerging counterfeiting threats; the identification and analysis of new features of FRNs that could provide effective countermeasures to these threats; and an overview of a requirements-driven development process that could be adapted to develop an advanced-generation currency. Read the report

Beyond Einstein: The Intersection of Physics and Astrophysics

Report released 09.05.07
The Beyond Einstein (BE) program is a set of five space missions designed to address important questions about physics and astrophysics.  In 2003, NASA prepared a research roadmap proposing these five missions in order to study dark energy, black holes, gravitational radiation, inflation of the early universe, and Einstein's theory of gravitation.  In FY2007, congressional language prompted NASA and DOE to request the NRC to assess these missions and recommend which to develop and launch first using a funding wedge that will start in 2009.  This report provides, for each mission, an analysis of its scientific impact, an examination of technical risk and a cost assessment, and a review of related policy and programmatic issues.  The report concludes with recommendations to guide the programs development. Read the report

None of Your Business: Privacy in the Information Age

Report released 05.04.07
The rapid expansion of information technology in recent years has dramatically increased attention on privacy. While there has been much written about privacy recently, most articles have presented the issue from a single point of view that did not consider the important interactions of technology, law, economics, business, social sciences, and ethics. In order to provide a broad-based look at privacy in the information age, the NRC-supported by the W.K. Kellogg, Alfred P. Sloan, and AT&T Foundations, and the Carnegie Corporation-carried out a study focusing on the fundamental concepts of privacy; the laws surrounding privacy; the tradeoffs among important areas of society; and the impact of technology on privacy conceptions. The report presents a review of thinking about privacy; an analysis of the intellectual, technological, legal, and political aspects of privacy; detailed examinations of privacy in the context of various data-intensive organizations, health care, libraries, law enforcement, and national security; and findings and recommendations about key, information technology-related privacy issues. Read the report

Are We Alone? The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems 

Report released 07.05.07
The search for life in the solar system and beyond has to date been governed by a model based on what we know about life on Earth (terran life). Most of NASA's mission planning is focused on locations where liquid water is possible and emphasizes searches for structures that resemble cells in terran organisms. It is possible, however, that life exists that is based on chemical reactions that do not involve carbon compounds, that occurs in solvents other than water, or that involves oxidation-reduction reactions without oxygen gas. To assist NASA incorporate this possibility in its efforts to search for life, the NRC was asked to carry out a study to evaluate whether nonstandard biochemistry might support life in solar system and conceivable extrasolar environments, and to define areas to guide research in this area. This report presents an exploration of a limited set of hypothetical chemistries of life, a review of current knowledge concerning key questions or hypotheses about non-terran life, and suggestions for future research. Read the report