Calling All Scientists

Global Security Newswire ran an interesting piece yesterday about the lack of science expertise that plagues the Washington policy world. In the piece Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer Edward Levine is quoted as saying that there is an "abysmal" lack of scientific expertise among Congressional staff. This is evidenced by the three to perhaps five scientists on a Senate staff of nearly 2,000 (scientifically speaking, only 0.25 percent of the staff). There's no doubt that science plays an integral role across the nonproliferation sector. For example, one of the arguments for possible passage of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) during this administration is the ever-increasing verifiability of the seismic, hydroacoustic, radionuclide, and infrasound monitoring stations throughout the world that can detect changes used to identify anything from major weather events to nuclear tests. Who on the Senate staff is equipped to understand the technical aspects of these important issues, let along cut through the jargon? Scientific expertise is similarly needed for a range of policy questions, including how to confidently verify any level of deep cuts in the stockpile, especially should the world ever get to a place where it was ready to go to zero or near zero. To help play a role in combating this scientific deficiency, PONI seeks to expand nuclear knowledge and debate, particularly to young people via programs like our Nuclear Scholars Initiative. With a new nuclear era ahead of us young talent and knowledge will be increasingly more critical.