Volume III

Addiction continues to be a major public health crisis in America. In Volume III of the MIT Science Policy Review, Cole Korponay reviews the current understanding of the drug-brain relationship, and describes the evolving policy landscape around America’s response to the drug addiction crisis. Finally, Korponay highlights some emerging science that could lead to new avenues for preventing and treating addiction. The cover image, designed by our Creative Director Daymé Delgado, symbolizes the process in which science and technology advancements can be harnessed to craft evidence-based policies to address drug addiction and improve patient outcomes.

Methane emissions are a major component of human-driven climate change. In Volume III of the MIT Science Policy Review, William Sawyer et al. review technologies and policies to reduce emissions, and discuss current global efforts towards this reduction. The authors emphasize that a current gap in methane emission technology, monitoring with high resolution in space and time, must be closed to drive emission reduction. They also describe how different industries, such as the oil/gas sector and agriculture, are at different stages of technology and policy development deployment. Finally, they note that global cooperation within and between the private and public sectors may promote global methane emission reduction. The cover image, designed by our Creative Director Daymé Delgado, visualizes that many different sources of methane emissions result in a disruptive outcome: global warming.

Editorial

Editor’s Note | Aug. 29, 2022

Reflections on communication and leadership

MIT SPR’s Editor-in-Chief for Volume III reflects on their time in leadership at the journal.

Perspectives

Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

Battery deployment in the U.S. faces non-technical barriers

The public and private investment spaces can help develop and deploy the best battery solutions.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

A comparison of American and Chinese policies for electric vehicle technologies

The U.S. and China currently have different paths towards electric vehicle technology development and adoption.


Science Enterprise | Aug. 29, 2022

Article Processing Charges may not be sustainable for academic researchers

Article processing charges for open-access publishing may decrease U.S. research productivity.


Science Enterprise | Aug. 29, 2022

Helping deep tech founders build in strange shores

International deep tech founders face significant barriers to contribute to the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Reviews

AI, Space and Security | Aug. 29, 2022

Whither Section 230? – Law and disruptive technology

The U.S. court system is set to impact the future of Section 230 policy debate.


AI, Space and Security | Aug. 29, 2022

Survey and analysis of U.S. policies to address ransomware

The emerging ransomware era could be mitigated by targeted U.S. regulation.


AI, Space and Security | Aug. 29, 2022

Lethal autonomous weapons systems & artificial intelligence: Trends, challenges, and policies

Autonomous weapon systems are proliferating rapidly leading to major humanitarian risks.


AI, Space and Security | Aug. 29, 2022

AML by design: Designing a central bank digital currency to stifle money laundering

Future digital currencies can be designed to limit money laundering.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

Beyond lithium-ion batteries: Shaping the transition to sustainable electrochemical energy storage

Thoughtful investing and policymaking could lead to a new generation of batteries.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

Methane emissions and global warming: Mitigation technologies, policy ambitions, and global efforts

Reducing global methane emissions may require technology development, proven policies, and private-public sector collaboration.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

Addressing the single-use plastic proliferation problem

Single-use plastic bans might not be a one-size-fits-all solution.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

The past, present, and future of human challenge trials

Scientific, ethical, and regulatory considerations are key when designing human challenge trials.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

The future of treating aging

As our population ages, our medical institutions may need to re-evaluate the status quo.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

Should machines be allowed to ‘read our minds’? Uses and regulation of biometric techniques that attempt to infer mental states

The promise of biometric technologies must be weighed with the potential harms.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

The next frontier of combating drug addiction in America

Evidence-based policies and new technologies may help the U.S. in the future of combating drug addiction.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

Biogen’s Aduhelm controversy as a case study for accelerated approval biomarkers in Alzheimer’s and related diseases

The recent FDA Biogen controversy sheds light on the future of drug approval in America.


Healthcare, Space and Security | Aug. 29, 2022

Biosecurity risks and governance in the age of synthetic biology

The rapid pace of biotechnology development poses real and alarming biosecurity risks.


Space and Security, Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

Space sustainability isn’t just about space debris: On the atmospheric impact of space launches

Considerations outside of space debris will be essential when designing a sustainable space industry.

Interviews

AI | Aug. 29, 2022

Natural language processing: Understanding the current landscape

Conversations with natural language processing researchers on the current state-of-the-art.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

On innovation in public health across government, industry, and academia

Conversations on innovation in public health in response to crises.


Healthcare | Aug. 29, 2022

An interview with Ryan Morhard: On biosecurity and pandemic preparedness

A conversation about the state of play in biosecurity, and how to leverage biotechnology to address future challenges.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

An interview with Professor Paul Joskow: On grid integration and decarbonization

A conversation on how the U.S. can reach decarbonization.


Climate Change | Aug. 29, 2022

An interview with Oscar Ocampo: On reaching net zero in Mexico

A conversation on Mexico’s trajectory towards a net-zero future.


Science Enterprise | Aug. 29, 2022

An interview with Sairee Chahal: Founder, serial
entrepreneur, and evangelist for women’s role in
nation building

A conversation on the future of women in the business and technology sectors.