In the Columbia Journalism Review's blog, Curtis Brainard critiques several recent articles that examine the current state of scientific and technological innovation in the US. A New York Times Magazine cover story and a recent profile of William Wulf, the former head of the National Academy of Engineering, point out that our “innovation ecology” is broken and that patent laws discourage innovation, especially when it comes to scientific and biomedical discovery. Another article in The Scientist looks at the ROI in academic research and development, questioning just how to determine what is good, or bad, payback to consumers.