Editor’s Comments

It’s been almost a full year since Wolfgang Panofsky and Edwin Salpeter kicked off our series, in the October 2005 issue of P&S, on science advice & policy formulation in the White House. With this issue we bring you three more articles in the series, all written by men who either have been, or are now, the science advisor to the President of the United States: Jack Gibbons served as science advisor to President Clinton starting in 1993. Neal Lane succeeded Gibbons in the Clinton Administration. John Marburger is currently serving President Bush as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. In their articles in this issue of P&S, Gibbons and Lane both shed light on policy making surrounding many specific issues, and they give us a taste of the “family dynamics” among the advisors and other public servants within the White House. We hope that these articles, as well as those of Panofsky and Salpeter from last year, are viewed as an important contribution to the discussion of science advice to the President.

J.M.