Asset management and performance measurement are topics of strong interest in the transporta- tion community today. NCHRP Project 20-60 looks to the strengths of both of these concepts in con- sidering what performance measures are best to apply within an asset management context. In doing this the study considers implications of several relevant trends now influencing U.S. trans- portation in…
ince its creation more than 200 years ago, the U.S. patent system has played an important role in stimulating technological innovation by providing legal protection to inventions of every description and by disseminating useful technical information about them. With the growing importance of technology to the nation’s well-being, patents are playing an even more prominent role in the economy.…
Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism, a report released by the National Academies in June 2002,1 articulated the role of science and technology in countering terrorism. That report included material on the specific role of information tech- nology (IT). Building on that report as a point of departure, the panel of experts responsible for the IT ma…
eflecting their broad interest in the health of America’s research enterprise, the National Academies launched a study in early 2000 on the implications of information technology for the future of the nation’s research university—a social institution of great importance to our economic strength, national security, and quality of life. The premise of this study was a simple one. Although t…
Handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) were launched in the marketplace in 1996. Within 18 months, these handheld devices had swept through the business community and virtually trans- formed the way people took notes and kept professional and personal cal- endars. Today, PDAs can connect to the Internet and provide a variety of services, from scouting out restaurants in the vi…
Computing technology is widely touted as fast moving. Generations of products and their underlying electronics are introduced at intervals of 18 to 24 months, and the number and variety of computer- and communications-based goods and services are growing. Technology and industry experts believe that the double-digit rates of improvement experienced in the last couple of decades can be sustain…
As we approach the start of a new century, it is apparent that science and technology (S&T) will continue to play a pivotal role in modern life. Skilled workers will be needed at all levels. Many of these workers will be drawn from the pool of students presently passing through school systems around the world; the remainder represent workers already employed who will need to maintain their tech…
The age of maturity in any science is ma rked by epistemological debates. This paper focuses on the controversy surrounding the use of math ematics in economics. The role of language, tools and appropriateness of methods is discussed within the borders set by empirical and rational approaches. An odyssey through schools of thought unveils creative oppositions, from naive neo-cla…
This workbook is designed to be used in conjunction with the author’s free online video tutorials. Inside this workbook each chapter is divided into learning modules (subsections), each having its own dedicated video tutorial. View the online video via the hyperlink located at the top of the page of each learning module, with workbook and paper or tablet at the ready. Or click on the Introdu…
Some great pundit once remarked, "Every time has its technology, and every technology has its time." Although this is a somewhat simplistic view of technology, it is indeed true that when one thinks of a time period (especially in modern times) one always associates with it the key technologies that "revolutionized" the way people lived then. For example, key technologies that "came of age" in …
Remote support technology is one of the most popular service and support automation tools for high-tech companies, with a well understood and easily documented return on investment story.
The first time I visited a Veterans Administration facility was after I had completed and published my first book Stress Disorders among Vietnam Vet- erans: Theory, Research, and Treatment (Figley 1978). The facility was a VA Medical Center in Indiana that specializes in mental health treatment. My guide at the facility explained that their role was more associated with “caring for t…