Court Appointed Scientific Experts
[2001-present]

AAAS aims to assist federal, state, and administrative court judges in obtaining independent scientific and technical experts. More...

Science and the Law: A Tale of Two Cultures
[2008]

The challenges facing the courts in three areas of science and technology, neuroscience, digital technologies, and forensic sciences, were explored at a meeting on October 30, 2008, co-sponsored by AAAS and the Washington Academy of Sciences. More...

Workshop on Emerging Norms, Law and Ethics in Virtual Worlds
[2008]

AAAS consponsored a workshop at Arizona State University (ASU) that explored the social, ethical, and legal implications surrounding virtual communities.  The workshop was held on March 10, 2008.

Although NSF’s “Broader Impacts” merit review criterion (BIC) has been in effect for ten years, its reception by members of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community has been mixed. The initial goals of this workshop were to reflect on the rationale behind BIC, as well as to explore whether researchers on science, technology, and society (ROSTS) – from disciplines such as History, Philosophy, Policy Studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS) – can assist STEM researchers in addressing the “broader impacts” of their research.  More…

In 2002, AAAS initiated a multi-year project to bring a public interest perspective to science and intellectual property issues. Through that perspective the project examined the scope of the public domain in science, emphasizing equity in access to the benefits of science, and encouraging broad participation in deliberations on matters of intellectual property policy.  More…

On December 7, 2003, AAAS sponsored a matinee performance of the Bertolt Brecht play, "The Life of Galileo," at Washington, DC's Studio Theatre for AAAS members and their families, friends, and staff. The event culminated a series of activities between AAAS and the Theatre to bridge science and theater in ways that were both entertaining and educational.  More…

Nearly thirty years ago, President Richard M. Nixon launched the "War on Cancer," signing the National Cancer Act on December 23, 1971. The progress in the years since and the work still needed to win this war were discussed at a forum, "30 Years of Fighting Cancer: Reflections on the Past, Challenges for the Future," co-sponsored by AAAS and Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) on November 7, 2001.  More…

See also: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2002/woc.shtml

The rapid and enormous expansion of science and technology in the twentieth century has brought with it an increased awareness of the potential impact of the products of scientific discovery on society and the environment. One of the issues that has emerged from this attention to the consequences of scientific research is whether scientists and engineers should swear to an oath of ethical conduct. More…

With funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health, AAAS and 17 other organizations sponsored a Summer 1991 workshop on values and ethical issues in science and technology for minority scholars. Our primary goal was to attract more minorities into research on these issues.  More…

The evolution of any profession is characterized, in large part, by efforts to increase the influence of ethics in professional life for its members.  This process includes efforts to define the principles of ethical conduct for professional activity and to deepen the commitment of members of the profession to those principles.  It also includes striving to help members realize the ideals that infuse professional life with meaning.  More…