Summary: If you've never heard of the government scientific advisory panel known as JASON, there's a good reason for that: Most of the work it does is classified. The independent group has been conducting studies for the Defense Department and other agencies for more than 60 years. But now, the department seems determined to do away with it. Defense officials said the reason is there are more cost effective ways to get outside scientific advice, but there are reasons to be skeptical of that explanation. Charles Levinson has been covering the possible downfall of JASON, and efforts to rescue it, for Reuters, where he's a national affairs correspondent. He talked with Federal Drive with Tom Temin about where things stand.
