“American know-how,” “American ingenuity” — these were terms many of us grew up with to describe the innovation and advancement powered by United States leadership in science that has made life easier, healthier, and longer, and that continues to open new worlds to us. 

With the challenges of AI, medical technologies, returning to the moon (and beyond), and powering a world whose energy needs are projected to expand exponentially, maintaining our leadership could certainly benefit from an organization that provides independent, objective advice to policymakers.

Well, we have one. Or at least we think we do.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine was congressionally chartered in 1863 to do just that. However, as with so many of our venerated institutions in recent years, it has dived head-first into many progressive policy priorities and fallen prey to other destructive influences.

Science is suffering from a reproducibility crisis, where identifying bogus, manipulated, and politicized research has become a cottage industry. This is due in no small part to torch-wielding activists burning down institutions that produce research that fails to support the “right” conclusions. Rather than fighting it, the National Academies have too often given fuel to the torch-wielders. NASEM’s tepid, caveated

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