When it comes to thinking and working internationally, scientists don't always do as well as other professions. Scientists trained in the developing world often relocate to the US, Europe or other industrialized nations, taking with them their expertise. The New York Academy of Sciences is determined to do something to help less-well-off nations strengthen their scientific institutions and development, and it's harnessing the internet to make it happen, through a site called Scientists without Borders.

The rise of social networking has been one of the major influences of what some people call web 2.0. Instead of being passive readers, users of sites interact with each other, form relationships, collaborate, and generally make productive use of the wonderful things that modern telecommunications technology makes possible.

A great example of this would be Facebook or LinkedIn, sites where users can connect with old friends or like-minded individuals for social or professional reasons. Scientists Without Borders might best be thought of as similar to LinkedIn; it's a professional networking site, not somewhere to congratulate your bro for drinking that 49th shot of jaeger, but in some ways it also incorporates ideas from sites like Donors Choose.

Individual scientists, projects, or organizations can post profiles detailing the skills they can either offer or are looking for. The site can identify related entries, and obviously there is a search function. So, if you're looking for an editor for a project ongoing in Ghana (for example), Scientists without Borders might help you connect with someone who is nearby, or willing to travel. The focus is firmly on the developing world, with the aim of creating a more joined-up, interconnected scientific community across the globe.

The site only went live yesterday, so browsing through it right now essentially gives a flavor of what they expect to accomplish. As more users sign up and participate, the database of available and needed skills will become more and more useful.

It's certainly a laudable goal. I was a participant at AAAS's Science and Technology Policy Forum last week in the nation's capitol (look for coverage coming soon at Nobel Intent) and one theme that was repeated by several speakers was the need for much better global action by the scientific community to address the mounting problems we'll all be facing in the coming decades (climate change, resource shortages, overpopulation and so on).

The Millennium Development Goals, a list of 8 important goals identified by 189 nations in 2000, are supposed to be met by 2015, a mere 7 years away, and success in those goals will have a huge impact in increasing the quality of life on the planet for the bulk of the world's population. Not meeting them, on the other hand, will mean a more overcrowded planet where people fight each other for access to basic resources. The scientific community in theory ought to be working for the greater global community as a whole. An effort such as Scientists without Borders could be an important step in helping science make a difference for all the nations on the planet, not just the rich ones.