Today’s article is not related to quantum computing, but could be of interest for those who think about science & its culture, America, and the future of both. Recently the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) put out a “request for information” (RFI) on the topic of “Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise”:
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress and technological innovation benefit all Americans.
Reading through the RFI, I found myself reflecting on the structural foundations required to actually meet these goals, because I firmly believe that Science and Power co-exist in an uneasy equilibrium. To steady this situation and unlock a prosperous future serving the common good, we must look at the structural “Operating System” that connects them. Specifically, we need to move beyond legacy models of research to create more dynamic interfaces between discovery and application. This modernization isn’t just about policy; it is organizational, technical, and human—requiring new ways of structuring our institutions, new methods for maturing “unrefined” science, and new networks for the people who power American innovation.
