New report will be featured at the nation’s preeminent policy forum for state and federal energy policymakers, the 2012 National Electricity Forum.

The twenty-first-century information sciences will allow us to communicate information and compute at unprecedented speeds. By 2029, for example, we should be able to build computers, in quantity, that are a million times more powerful than the personal computers of today.

On October 6, 2018, the American Academy inducted its 238th class of Members at a ceremony held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The ceremony featured readings from the letters of John and Abigail Adams by Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer, a performance by André Watts, and presentations by Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Huda Y. Zoghbi, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Robert Gooding-Williams, and David Miliband.

The Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) presented to the American Academy the 2014 Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award for issuing "The Heart of the Matter" and for its long-standing commitment to recognizing outstanding scholars and for working to address critical challenges facing our global society.

Patrick C. Walsh, a renowned urologist who pioneered work in the understanding and treatment of prostate cancer, was honored with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Francis Amory Prize here on March 14. Given by the Academy since 1940, the prize recognizes major advances in reproductive biology and medical care.

After 238 years, there are not that many “firsts” left for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to achieve. Yet on November 29, 2018, the Academy found one, hosting its first jazz performance at its headquarters in Cambridge.

While the Academy focused most of its early efforts on the natural and physical sciences, in recent years the organization has taken a more active role in studying and promoting humanities, arts, and culture in American society. Through its commissions, publications, and projects, the Academy conducts research and develops policy recommendations to advance the arts and humanities in American life, and seeks opportunities to enrich the nation’s cultural life. The unique convening power of the Academy brings together scholars, artists, and leaders from the public and private sectors to demonstrate their vital role in the life of the nation, and to articulate how the country might better support activities in this area.

What do we want for the future of our democracy? Danielle Allen, cochair of Academy project on the practice of democratic citizenship, explores, citing feedback from engagement sessions held by the Commission.

This summer, the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences held panel discussions on Public Governance and Civic Engagement. From these conversations emerged clear recommendations for policymakers to build a stronger civic culture and increase trust in government.

On March 31, 1999, Jared Diamond presented a condensed version of his talk on "How to Get Rich."

A Boston Globe editorial endorses responding to the nation’s “redistricting war” by increasing the size of the House of Representatives from its current 435 members, as recommended by the Academy in Our Common Purpose and a subsequent detailed proposal.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences and The MIT Press are today announcing that Dædalus, Journal of the American Academy, will now be an open access publication.

Academy projects in Science, Engineering, and Technology seek to strengthen the capacity of science, engineering, and technology to improve the common good. Leveraging the diverse expertise of its members and a wide network of external specialists, the Academy conducts in-depth studies to assess the implications of scientific and technological progress. These studies inform actionable policy recommendations for stakeholders across government, academia, the nonprofit sector, and industry.

Close to half of U.S. humanities graduates feel that their undergraduate institution did not prepare them for life and regret their choice of major. The problem – amid a general mood of satisfaction – may trace to unrealistic expectations.

The White House’s proposed budget cuts to language and exchange programs will make America less able to communicate with and understand our allies and potential adversaries abroad, argues Karl Eikenberry, citing Academy report.

According to "A Primer on the College Student Journey," a report released Thursday by the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education: In addition to improving retention and graduation rates, colleges must address disparities in educational attainment associated with race and ethnicity, income level, and gender. And cost and debt remain concerns.

Academy Fellow Robert Pinsky, Professor at Boston University and former Poet Laureate of the United States, discussed the Favorite Poem Project at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on October 14, 2011.

David Victor, who cochaired the Academy's Commission on Climate Action, released a study of climate change coverage in "elite" and "heartland" news sources between 2011 to 2022 . His analysis of the disparity (far greater likelihood of coverage in the "elite" sources) explores the effect of coverage on developing an engaged and supportive public and highlights that "a politically durable climate policy" must be more attuned to national sentiments.

In December I used my year-end message to highlight the outstanding speeches delivered by new members representing each of the Academy’s five classes at the September 2023 Induction Ceremony. The speakers addressed an extraordinary range of issues, speaking on themes related to artificial intelligence, climate action, creativity, inquiry, and identity. The text of their remarks is included in this issue of the Bulletin, and I hope you will enjoy reading them if you have not already viewed them online.

When an experimental brain operation left him a “profound amnesiac,” Henry Gustav Molaison might have chosen a private existence away from the public eye. Instead he made a gift of his misfortune, willingly exposing himself to the tests of 100 researchers over 50 years so that science might learn something about memory and the human brain. The American Academy will explore Molaison’s life and legacy on February 15, 2012 with a reading from the new play, “Yesterday Happened: Remembering H.M.,” and a panel of experts.