Lisa Margonelli

Gisborne

Editor in Chief at Issues in Science and Technology

Editor in chief: @ISSUESinST. Author #UNDERBUG: A Tale of Termites and Technology from Sci-Am/FSG. Old book: Oil On the Brain. Views are my own, of course.

Articles

The Strange New Politics of Science Archives

2 months ago | issues.org | Vol. XLI |Lisa Margonelli |Lia Halloran |Marcia McNutt

Solving the disconnects between science and society will require much more than good ideas and good intentions—it will require the political will to bring the fragmented institutions of science together. Today’s political environment precludes the science community from making its old pitches to Congress; it will need to break old habits, build new bonds at personal, local, and regional levels, and reconsider the way it works. Editor's Journal Perspectives FeaturesBook Reviews
Les termites, experts paysagistes

Mar 23, 2025 | pourlascience.fr | Lisa Margonelli

De retour d’Australie, je m’interrogeais sur une étrange histoire, celle de la réhabilitation du terrain occupé jadis par une grande mine de bauxite par… des termites. Ces insectes n’avaient-ils pas simplement fertilisé le sol et recyclé les herbes grâce aux quelques molécules d’azote fournies par leurs déjections ? De là à créer une forêt entière… il y avait de quoi s’étonner. Pour en savoir plus, je me suis mise en quête de spécialistes des paysages.
Searching for a New Protopia

Jan 8, 2025 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |Jay Lloyd |Vol. XLI

Few Americans (aside from Issues readers) had science and technology policy top of mind when they went to the polls on November 5. Even so, the future of one of the most ambitious science policy agendas in recent memory hung in the balance.
The Hidden Engineering that Makes New York Tick

Nov 19, 2024 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |Kimberly Quach

New York City is the perfect place to understand the importance of modern engineering, but the most valuable lessons won’t be found at the Empire State Building or in Central Park. To truly discover what makes modern life tick, you have to look at the unloved, uncelebrated elements of New York: its sewers, bridges, and elevators. On this episode, host Lisa Margonelli talks to Guru Madhavan, the Norman R.
Pulling New Energy Technologies Into the Market

Nov 15, 2024 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |David Hart

In the next congressional session, Republicans will hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate. As they seek to advance their legislative priorities, energy policies will be high on the list. Energy innovation—particularly so-called technology-push policies that incentivize research and development—has long enjoyed bipartisan support, with lawmakers eager to bring federal funding and resources to their states and districts. But David M.
Science Policy: No Longer an “Exotic Nice-to-Have Thing”

Oct 28, 2024 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |Jay Lloyd |Vol. XLI

The community of people who do science policy has long been something of a cipher. In the late 1960s, journalist Dan Greenberg reported that it comprised a “remarkably small number of people”—he estimated between 200 and 1,000. In 1964, political scientist Robert C. Wood described the “consistently influential” science policymakers as “an apolitical elite” of just a few hundred people.
How the Octopus Got to the Senate

Oct 8, 2024 | issues.org | Jennifer Jacquet |Lisa Margonelli |Kimberly Quach

Octopuses are famously smart: they can recognize individual humans, solve problems, and even keep gardens. They are also a popular food for humans: around 350,000 tons of octopus are caught worldwide each year, and demand is only growing. Some governments and start-ups have invested significant resources into domesticating octopus, and the world’s first octopus farm may soon open in Spain’s Canary Islands. But should octopus be farmed at all?
Supporting Scientific Citizens

Jul 31, 2024 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |Jay Lloyd |Vol. XL

What do nuclear fusion power plants, artificial intelligence, hydrogen infrastructure, and drinking water recycled from human waste have in common? Aside from being featured in this edition of Issues, they all require intense public engagement to choose among technological tradeoffs, safety profiles, and economic configurations. Reaching these understandings requires researchers, engineers, and decisionmakers who are adept at working with the public.
Rashada Alexander Prepares the Next Generation of Science Policy Leaders

Jul 23, 2024 | issues.org | Rashada Alexander |Lisa Margonelli |Kimberly Quach

Since 1973, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) has brought thousands of scientists and engineers into the policy world. The fellowship is a very popular pathway into science policy, and AAAS fellows have featured in several episodes of our Science Policy IRL series. In this episode, we talk with the STPF fellowship director, Rashada Alexander.
Mud, Muddling, and Science Policy

Apr 17, 2024 | issues.org | Lisa Margonelli |Jay Lloyd |Vol. XL

Most days, I think about science policy writ large. Where does the $200 billion US taxpayers put toward science go, and how can science help craft better policy and better lives? But at home, I approach the subject at the level of the clam. The Maine island where I live has 477 human residents, and my role in town governance is to chair the shellfish conservation committee. As a clam decisionmaker, I do science policy at its smallest and muddiest.