Russian Science Isn’t Dying, It’s Coming of Age

By Marilyn Pifer. It’s been a hot summer in Moscow, at least under the collars of Russian scientists. In late May, the Russian Academy of Sciences—a venerable institution established by Peter the Great nearly 300 years ago—elected its first new president in 22 years, Vladimir Fortov, a former science minister. Fortov ran on a platform of reform, declaring the academy “ready for change.” Given that the average age of members of the academy exceeds the average life expectancy of Russian men by more than 10 years, it would seem the academy needs changing, ready or not. More...