Obama Set to Change Science and Tech
When Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States this week, he promised that his administration would "restore science to its rightful place." Whether reality will fit the rhetoric remains to be seen, and there are reasons to be both optimistic and a little wary.
In his inaugural speech, the president devoted a decent 130 out of 2,402 words to technology issues such as broadband, science research, health IT, and clean energy. These highlights generally track with what is posted on Whitehouse.gov as part of his technology agenda. So how might things change in each of these areas?
When it comes to broadband, Obama is said to be ready to name Julius Genachowski as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Genachowski founded LaunchBox Digital, a Washington, D.C.-based tech startup accelerator program, and even conservative politicos seem happy with the pick. A new FCC chair with startup exposure and a decent reputation on the regulatory front bodes well for future debates over broadband issues such as Net neutrality and broadband deployment.
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