John Alic - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by John Alic

Foreign Affairs, 1992

... on the part of the affected industry (see Appendix 10-A). The important point about the spino... more ... on the part of the affected industry (see Appendix 10-A). The important point about the spinoff paradigm is not that it was a half truth at best, but that the unusual circumstances of the postwar world did not force Americans to question it. Few asked whether spin-off was an ...

Futures, Jun 1, 1989

Abstract Practical applications of high-temperature superconductivity appear to be a decade or so... more Abstract Practical applications of high-temperature superconductivity appear to be a decade or so in the future. Difficult technical problems at many levels, from microstructural control to systems engineering, will have to be solved before the new materials can find a place in electronics, or as conductors in magnets and electrical equipment. This article outlines the prospective applications, and briefly reviews government policies for supporting the development of this potentially revolutionary technology.

working paper, 2023

The US stockpile of nuclear weapons grew enormously during the eight years of Dwight D. Eisenhowe... more The US stockpile of nuclear weapons grew enormously during the eight years of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. The Truman administration had established the preconditions, but the subsequent increase was a consequence of decisions by Eisenhower, who on major policy issues acted in effect as his own defense secretary. Fixated on the federal budget, he sought to

By the late 1950s, the US nuclear weapons inventory held many more tactical warheads than strateg... more By the late 1950s, the US nuclear weapons inventory held many more tactical warheads than strategic (the distinction is fuzzy). Large numbers of tactical weapons had been sent to Europe: gravity bombs, battlefield artillery projectiles, rockets and missiles. These weapons had no military utility. Ostensibly intended to slow or halt any possible advance by the armies of the

Futures, Feb 1, 1997

This paper deals with three main topics. The first is the nature of post-industrial, service-base... more This paper deals with three main topics. The first is the nature of post-industrial, service-based economies in which human capital has special importance. In the new global economy, sharp distinctions between services and goods become more difficult to draw, as exemplified by computer software, perhaps the purest embodiment so far of a knowledge-based industry in which human and organizational capital account for nearly all value added. Where does this intangible capital come from? That is the subject of the second section of the paper, which discusses the meanings attached to knowledge, skill and other components of human capital, sketching out a view emphasizing tacit know-how and the lessons of experience. This sets the stage for a third section outlining a number of implications for higher education.

In the beginning, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was just ARPA. Establishe... more In the beginning, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was just ARPA. Established in the wake of the Soviet Union's Sputnik satellite launch, it was supposed to take over the plethora of missile and space programs run by the US armed forces. Overlap and competition among these programs had gotten much of the blame for the black eye that Sputnik-the world's first artificial satellite and a clear technological coup-delivered to national prestige. But as a civilian-run organization, ARPA faced strong opposition from the military and could not long hold onto its assigned mission. Forced to find another, it focused on insertion of advanced technologies into fielded weapon systems. It wasn't truly a research agency in its original or later incarnation, but DARPA has been widely lauded for spurring the development of the internet (originally known as ARPANET) and stealthy warplanes, among other advances. In recent decades, attempts to mimic DARPA's approach have arisen in intelligence (the

Engineering Studies

Engineering occupations coevolved with industries producing material outputs: mining, constructio... more Engineering occupations coevolved with industries producing material outputs: mining, construction, manufacturing. Yet wealthy economies have long been moving toward intangible services, the products of industries including finance, wholesale and retail trade, entertainment, travel and transportation, health care, and also the public sector (including, e.g., much of education). For the United States the shift is evident in statistical data going back well over a century and services now account for nearly 90 percent of all employment. The job share is lower for engineers, but even so the majority work for service-producing entities. Entanglement and interdependence of services and goods hinders understanding of the dynamics, as does rapid growth in jobs classed in official employment statistics as computer-related even though much of the work resembles engineering. Because of this, field studies that explore actual job content will be needed to develop clearer pictures of the everyday tasks employers assign technical workers in postindustrial economies.

Keystone Research Center, Feb 1, 2019

on the challenges associated with economic restructuring, including the transition from a manufac... more on the challenges associated with economic restructuring, including the transition from a manufacturing-dominated U.S. economy with limited imports to a global, postindustrial, service-dominated economy; and, more recently, on the potential impact of robots and artificial intelligence. Steve's KRC writings are on line at www. keystoneresearch.org. His coauthored writings with John Alic for national audiences include New Rules

ABSTRACT timing of climate change policy

Efficiency of Manufacturing Systems, 1983

Science, 2002

In his letter entitled “Advice for a better OTA” (28 Sept., p. [2394][1]), Charles Weiss urges th... more In his letter entitled “Advice for a better OTA” (28 Sept., p. [2394][1]), Charles Weiss urges that any sort of reconstituted Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) incorporate a more formalized methodology for the conduct of assessments, which after codification might be taught and promulgated

The Palgrave Handbook of the International Political Economy of Energy, 2016

International Journal of Technology Management

ABSTRACT

This article examines how to preserve the strengths of the traditional U.S. approach to technolog... more This article examines how to preserve the strengths of the traditional U.S. approach to technology development while compensating for its weaknesses. Announcements of new, higher-temperature superconducting material discoveries in 1986, set off a flurry of activity that is reviewed. Examined are efforts to reduce superconducting capability to practice and the outdated approach of federal agencies. The approach proposed attempts to combine the benefits of federal funding with the need to let the market drive the technology. Government's role would be facilitator and financier, helping to further an agenda designed, implemented, and heavily funded by industry. Some risks are inherent in this approach. 9 refs.