Covers both the most recent advances in terrestrial and extraterrestrial drilling. Discusses drilling in the broadest range of media including ground, ice, underwater and planetary surfaces from shallow to very deep. Provides a comprehensive description of key drilling techniques and the efforts to develop unified approach to assessing the required tools for given drilling requirements. Discusses how environment affects drilling and approaches to addressing the effects and current challenges of drilling and excavation on other planets. Examines novel drilling and excavation approaches.

In 2005, the National Research Council report Rising Above the Gathering Storm recommended a new way for the federal government to spur technological breakthroughs in the energy sector. It recommended the creation of a new agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, as an adaptation of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) modelâ€"widely considered a successful experiment that has funded out-of-the-box, transformative research and engineering that made possible the Internet, GPS, and stealth aircraft. This new agency was envisioned as a means of tackling the nation's energy challenges in a way that could translate basic research into technological breakthroughs while also addressing economic, environmental, and security issues. Congress authorized ARPA-E in the 2007 America COMPETES Act and requested an early assessment following 6 years of operation to examine the agency's progress toward achieving its statutory mission and goals. This report documents the results of that assessment. It includes both an operational assessment of the agency's funding programs and a technical assessment of its awards, to the extent possible.

The Expert in Litigation and Arbitration provides the complete picture of the role and duties of the expert witness in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, USA, Australia, Hong Kong and China. With articles and chapters from leading practitioners around the world, the book looks at the role of the expert in many different disciplines and jurisdictions, examining topical issues such as the independent status of the expert and professional liability. This book looks at the role of experts in both arbitration and litigation, considering how experts are currently used in civil actions and what lessons can be learnt from this. With much practical advice for the inexperienced expert witness, it covers many of the pitfalls faced by experts, looking at the various situations that can arise either in court or before an arbitrator.