European consumers are protesting the sale of U.S. food products because of concerns about genetically altered crops. In Russia, weapons-grade uranium is being stored in inadequately protected facilities, increasing the risk that a terrorist organization or rogue nation might steal the material to build nuclear weapons. A new disease has made its way from Africa to New York and is threatening to spread along the East Coast.
Most of us would agree that dealing effectively with these thorny international problems requires an understanding of the scientific, technological, and health issues
surrounding them. But ironically, as the world becomes more dependent on technology, the U.S. Department of State--the agency responsible for implementing America's foreign policy around the globe--has been downplaying the necessity for scientific and technical expertise in its ranks.
This trend must be reversed now to ensure that U.S. foreign policy continues to contribute to a more secure, prosperous, and ...
