Editor's Note: An article on page 1 of this issue addresses the government officials, and the United States public concerning ongoing funding and focus of the major national weapons labs-- Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia. The article points out that this shift, in fact, marks a time of vast change for all Department of Energy-managed labs, as the quest for global economic gain supplants the fear of global war as the prime reason for continued support of these facilities. Among the most dramatic signs of change, as these labs take new aim through creative partnerships with private-industry firms, is their increasing involvement in the life sciences. Heretofore, their achievements--individually and collectively--centered for the most part on the physical sciences, and it is worth pondering how well they will adapt to the inevitable challenges accompanying the demand to redirect their efforts.
Earlier this year, the newsletter Science Watch, published by...
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