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This is the story of the shadowy Intelligence Division of the British War Office and its unsung role in the formation of the Victorian Empire and imperial policy-making from Asia to Africa. With its focus on the heady days between the Crimean War and the establishment of MI5 and MI6 in the early years of the twentieth century, Under Every Leaf tells how Britain was well served by an extensive and sophisticated secret intelligence service which few even knew existed - then or now. Drawing from an encyclopaedic array of primary and little-known sources, Under Every Leaf is a rollicking good read

William Beaver on four factors depressing higher ed enrollments.

The nation's nuclear power industry is in trouble. The number of operating reactors continues to decline, while only one new plant is scheduled to open and it is well behind schedule and 50% over budget. The article will investigate the possibility of a nuclear revival in this country by first analyzing the troubled history of the light water reactor, a technology that dates back to the 1950s, and one the federal government choose to pursue to ensure America's technological leadership, and one the nuclear manufactures heavily promoted to ensure profitability. All of this resulted in a rush to nuclear power in the 1960s, but abruptly ended a little more than a decade later, due largely to the exorbitant costs of constructing a nuclear plant. The article then discusses the chances of a nuclear comeback, focusing on new reactor designs, which are less complex and cheaper to construct but will be dependent upon how seriously global warming is viewed by the public and elected officials.

AbstractHydraulic fracturing used to remove natural gas from the Marcellus Shale has raised environmental concerns in the region both in terms of air and water pollution. This article will examine those concerns and how the natural gas industry has responded to them. After discussing the issues related to groundwater contamination and air quality. I discuss industry responses and how the costs and harm associated with fracking could be reduced, with the knowledge that despite opposition from environmental groups, fracking will continue. The hope is that more drillers will begin to operate in a socially responsible manner that will allow companies to be profitable while limiting harm to the environment and to individuals living near drilling sites.

In recent years, a great deal has been written and discussed about the need for the US to develop sustainable sources of energy that do not pollute the air or water. Although the concept of sustainable energy is a hot-button issue today, attempts to develop such technologies are not new. In 1943, physicist Leo Szilard suggested it might be possible to construct a nuclear reactor that would create or breed fuel, producing an inexhaustible supply of energy. The concept became so compelling that the federal government would vigorously pursue it for the next forty years, with the ultimate goal of having the nation's electricity generated largely by breeder reactors. The purpose of this article is to briefly chronicle major developments in the history of the breeder reactor in the US. It is a history of peaks and valleys, where the federal government attempted to rapidly develop a technology based on what turned out to be a set of erroneous assumptions. Adapted from the source document.

An exploration of why US nuclear power policies have languished over the last three decades traces government policies from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1953 "Atoms for Peace" speech. It was announced in February of 1954 that the Atomic Energy Commission would undertake a five-year reactor-development program with or without private participation. Special attention is given to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the 1955 Power Reactors Demonstration Program; the 1957 opening of the nation's first commercial reactor in Shippingport, PA; & competition between General Electric & Westinghouse to develop new technologies & build nuclear reactors. Fifty plants were operating by the mid-1970s, but sky-high utility bills, poor management, & the Three-Mile Island disaster led to a hiatus of future plans. Government haste is blamed for preventing nuclear power from becoming a routine industrial process. Private manufacturers would have developed the process more slowly but more efficiently. It is argued that now is the time for a resurgence of a nuclear power program that can benefit from past experience. References. J. Lindroth

ABSTRACTNothing in the music industry has been more controversial than so‐called gangsta rap. This article examines the behavior of the major recording labels involved with rap music, and how they have responded to calls from the minority community and various politicians to clean up the offensive lyrics associated with the genre. In large part, the companies have basically ignored their critics and continued to market gangsta rap because for years it had been so highly profitable. Their basic tactic has been to diffuse responsibility and distance themselves from rap by allowing subsidiaries to handle that part of the business. The industry's behavior is certainly troubling. I argue that, at the very least, the companies should have met the "moral minimum" to avoid harm and correct social injuries by censoring certain lyrics. Unfortunately this never occurred, and, in the end, only declining sales appear to have had any mitigating effects on gangsta rap.

Calls the Obama administration decision to halt the development of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository a "significant government failure." At issue is why the decision was made at this point & what lies in the future. The evolution of the policies that led to this decision is traced, & details of the controversy surrounding the underground repository & nuclear waste handling more generally are provided. Adapted from the source document.

Americans value few things more than college degrees. Right now, 29 percent of adults over age 25 have a bachelor's or higher. That figure has more than doubled since the 1970s, and many within the educational establishment argue it will have to increase significantly for the United States to remain globally competitive.

The contributions of TV to illegitimate births in the US are examined. It is conjectured that the 200% increase in illegitimacy in the US in the past three decades indicates a change in societal sexual/moral values that parallels the increase in sexual messages depicted on TV during the same time period. Although the impact of TV on children is open to question, it is naive to believe that the impact is not significant. Children spend more time watching TV than in any other activity except sleep, & content analysis reveals that 29% of the interactions on shows most popular with children involve some sort of sexual talk. Research has also demonstrated that sex gets TV viewers' attention while simultaneously arousing them. Sexual messages are also prevalent in TV advertising. Although TV executives have expressed sympathy with the concerns of the public over sexual content, their efforts at self-regulation have not gone far enough. The potential of TV network restraint, a ratings system, & the v-chip in lessening illegitimacy in the US are discussed. 14 References. D. Generoli