This year did not offer anything as fabulous as Senator Ted Stevens’ explanation of the internet as “not a big truck” but “a series of tubes” – a gaffe that ended up generating both its own music video and its own wikipedia entry.  In fact, 2007 provided several arguable violations of the Stevens Principle – namely that “understanding a technology disqualifies one from regulating it.”  Only time will tell whether these constitute a trend. It is not a “best of”, but here were three moments of happy surprise in what was otherwise a fairly grim year.  In reverse order...

3. US presidential hopefuls discover technology: One would not think this would be a great year for science and technology. The Republican candidates are under pressure from their base to claim that they believe in neither evolution nor human-caused climate change. (Perhaps burning copies of The Origin of the Species will provide the alternative energy source we need?) Where is the advantage for the Democratic contenders in having a science and technology policy more extensive than “we believe in it”? Yet many candidates from both parties actually have positions on complex issues such as “net neutrality”. One might expect that the Democrats would be in favor of net neutrality. Who wants the phone company to be able to delay your connection to a business if they are not getting kickbacks from that business? They are – particularly Barack Obama – but it is a shock to find Republican Mike Huckabee explaining succinctly: "The internet is a highway and we don't restrict highways to 18-wheelers...if it's a car, an SUV, or a truck, you use the same highway." John McCain, who is against net neutrality, stuck with Senator Stevens’ metaphor.  “When you control the pipe you should be able to get profit from your investment." (If the highway ran through a tunnel, could it be both a road and a tube...?) As always, the best comments come from candidates no one has heard of.  Mike Gravel – a Democrat – wins the honesty award for his policy on intellectual property.  "I don't know enough about the whole copyright issue, I truly don't."  Someone tell him about the Stevens Principle.  A summary of the candidates’ positions can be found here.