Transcending boundaries

Next week in Washington, DC, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of Science) will celebrate science and explore many daunting global challenges. The meeting's theme--Science Transcending Boundaries--considers how science can bring together people, ideas, and solutions from across real and artificial borders, disciplines, sectors, ideologies, and traditions. The scientific community must evolve to meet new realities if it is to continue its path of growth and progress and address the world's most pressing problems. The benefits of science and technology cannot be dismissed. They are embedded in our daily lives and undergird the solutions to everything from poverty to disease; sustainable food, water, and energy; climate change; and national and international security.