Former science adviser sees dire shifts for research

Many scientists around the country may still need convincing that the earthquake currently shaking the research community will have long-term effects. But one influential voice from "outside the beltway" is saying they better catch up with reality. The "worst" is yet to come, says former Exxon research chief Edward E. David Jr., who was also science adviser to President Nixon. Science is currently undergoing a paradigmatic shift, he says, and the community had best pre pare itself for it. David, who now practices private consulting in New Jersey, says various domestic and global changes are calling for a new way of doing science and thinking about it. In a speech at a George Washington University policy seminar in Washington, D.C., David set forth several fundamental changes he sees ahead for research. The first is that central research laboratories in large corporations will be eliminated. David says the downsizing has been going on for awhile as ...