Can you feel the earth shaking? It’s from the clamoring of calls to reopen the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (the OTA provided science policy advice to Congress before Newt Gingrich closed the Office 15 years ago). Regular readers are aware of my OTA cheer: “Hey, hey, what do you say? Let’s reopen the OTA (with citizen input)!!” Published two articles in Science Progress, started a petition, launched a facebook discussion, and just created a mock market where investors can buy or sell stock to indicate their predictions on whether or not an OTA with citizen input will be opened this year. (Stock is tumbling. Good time to buy it!)
Here are two very recent articles on the subject of a new OTA, written by “futurists.” Future thinkers? Eat my dust! 
The Future of Foresight under Obama and Mission Ahead .
If you want to learn more about the OTA or read some of their 750+ official reports, check this out, from the Federation of American Scientists. It has to be the most vibrant website dedicated to a non-existent Federal government office.
