Over the past half century, high-speed rail (HSR) has emerged as an important component of the intercity passenger transport system, providing both an alternative and a compliment to highway and air transport.  The US was once at the forefront of efforts to develop HSR technology, but over the past three decades Asian and European countries have moved ahead and developed extensive and increasingly sophisticated and integrated systems, with maximum speeds on some dedicated HSR lines exceeding 220 mph. Read more…

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A nuclear explosive device detonated in an American city would cause catastrophic loss of life and long-term economic damage.  Such event is not likely, at present, but the threat may increase. Read more…

For years, humans have wondered what it would be like to get inside the mind of another species, to understand how they thought, felt and saw the world around them. Until recently our understanding of the minds of other species that share this planet was little more than guess work; however, new technological and scientific methods have advanced to the point where some of these important questions are now able to be addressed. Read more…

The U.S. Department of Energy´s goals for meeting America´s energy challenges involve energy security; reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions; and promoting changes in energy supply, transmission, storage, and use. And even within those challenges lies another: energy change can be slow. Read more…

In 1998 a British gastroenterologist published a paper with a shocking allegation: the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine might cause autism. The media seized the story and, in the process, helped launch one of the fastest-spreading health scares ever—linking childhood vaccines and autism. Read more…