ABSTRACT
The United States of America and the modern Technological-Industrial Age were born at about the same time. George Washington was himself a skilled civil engineer, and Thomas Jefferson was surely his own Science Adviser. Difficulties appeared, however, during the Lyndon Johnson administration. The Vietnam War created divisive feelings throughout the country and within the scientific community. There has been for many years, however, considerable controversy, even in the scientific community, as to the effectiveness of the White House Science Office. The task of the government, therefore, in using its limited resources to encourage many investigations of different energy sources is a technical, economic, and political problem which surely the President’s Science Advisers must face and carefully analyze. The problems that face the country are severe and complicated, involving a difficult mix of scientific, technological, economic, political, social and international issues.
