Provide energy from fusion - - ITER is a joint international research and development project that aims to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power. The partners in the project - the ITER Parties - are the European Union (represented by EURATOM), Japan, the People´s Republic of China, India, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA. ITER will be constructed in Europe, at Cadarache in the South of France. What is fusion? Fusion is the energy source of the sun and the stars. On earth, fusion research is aimed at demonstrating that this energy source can be used to produce electricity in a safe and environmentally benign way, with abundant fuel resources, to meet the needs of a growing world population.

The US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on Friday announced the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century.  A diverse committee of experts from around the world, convened at the request of the US National Science Foundation, revealed 14 challenges that, if met, would improve how we live.

"Tremendous advances in quality of life have come from improved technology in areas such as farming and manufacturing," said committee member and Google co-founder Larry Page.  "If we focus our effort on the important grand challenges of our age, we can hugely improve the future."

The panel, some of the most accomplished engineers and scientists of their generation, was established in 2006 and met several times to discuss and develop the list of challenges.  Through an interactive Web site, the effort received worldwide input from prominent engineers and scientists, as well as from the general public, over a one-year period.  The panel's conclusions were reviewed by more than 50 subject-matter experts.

The final choices fall into four themes that are essential for humanity to flourish -- sustainability, health, reducing vulnerability, and joy of living.  The committee did not attempt to include every important challenge, nor did it endorse particular approaches to meeting those selected.  Rather than focusing on predictions or gee-whiz gadgets, the goal was to identify what needs to be done to help people and the planet thrive.

"We chose engineering challenges that we feel can, through creativity and commitment, be realistically met, most of them early in this century," said committee chair and former US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry.  "Some can be, and should be, achieved as soon as possible." 

Restore and improve urban infrastructure - - Crews work to repair a massive sinkhole Friday morning that closed northbound I-25 north of downtown Denver on Feb 08, 2008

Less well known than the carbon crisis is the need to avoid dangerous interference with Earth’s natural nitrogen cycle. “In the process of fertilising the planet we are massively increasing the amount of biologically available nitrogen on the planet,” said Robert Socolow of Princeton University, a panel member . “So we are not just warming the planet, we are fertilising the planet.”

The committee decided not to rank the challenges.  NAE is offering the public an opportunity to vote on which one they think is most important and to provide comments at the project Web site -- <www.engineeringchallenges.org>. 

The Grand Challenges site features a five-minute video overview of the project along with committee member interview excerpts.  A podcast of the news conference announcing the challenges will also be available on the site starting next week.

"Meeting these challenges would be 'game changing,'" said NAE president Charles M. Vest.  "Success with any one of them could dramatically improve life for everyone."

The Challenges