What would you like to accomplish as part of the President's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology? The field of opportunity is so big that it's a challenge enough just to decide what do we focus on. It has to be focused; otherwise, it gets to be a giant dissertation on science and technology. What we've chosen to do so far is to really focus on trying to anticipate the trends in science and technology and provide the president with some understanding of the priorities that we think this country needs to have to ensure a long-term competitive position. It's not addressing a specific technology.

Do you have concerns about the ability of the U.S. to maintain leadership in technology and basic scientific research? The biggest concern I have has to do with education. It is one of the most, if not the most, significant challenges that we have to address: the educational shortcomings that we have in this country.