I'm compelled to check whether anything good or interesting has arrived. It hasn't. Still, it might, any second now.

I had expected to be as irritated by Michael Behe's second book as by his first. I had not expected to feel sorry for him.

Why has the pace of fundamental innovation in military technologies slowed? Why, six years after 9/11, is there no mega-research project -- along the lines of the crash Manhattan Project that 62 years ago produced the first atomic bombs -- to address the plausible security threats to the United States in the 21st century? These two questions say a lot about how innovation happens today, and why concerns about national security, which once motivated civilian scientists and engineers to make crucial contributions to military technologies, may again shape innovation priorities.

"Do these discoveries blow people's minds? Yes."

"What matters is who is in the know in the Washington crowd."

These are people who, whether pegged as nerds or rebels or plodders, have taken control of the stories that form their identities.

"Some of our folks went to Washington to dry the swamp and made partnership with the alligators," he said.

They urged the district to move beyond what they said was a preoccupation with social engineering ...

In the United States, Mr. Chertoff held so-called principals meetings.

As he described the practice, one of his assistants shook his head no and politely corrected his boss. Finally, the director confessed, "I don't know what we do."

I think America needs a whole lot more persuading and a lot less bossing.

Mr. Blair's greatest talent is his ability to persuade, shame and wheedle people into doing things they would just as soon not do.

Many of us think of invention or innovation as a wholly conceived, br... [ Read More (2.3k in body) ]