According to the commission, the academy panel had "identified some scenarios that are unreasonable."

The chairman of the academy panel said these noises were probably nothing more than police radio static.

The academy panel, which included astronomers and scientists in other disciplines, could not have been more decisive.

Mr. Coppock, the director of the academy panel's staff, said that was true.

The 14-member academy panel illustrated the "unpleasant trade-offs" in a chart showing a hypothetical population of 10,000 government employees that includes 10 spies.

Although some believe that the institute is unnecessary, an academy panel is expected next month to endorse the basic concept and to propose a possible structure.

Today the academy panel said Federal research expenditures would probably reach the recommended $1 billion level by 1990, when a further assessment would be needed.

Indeed, the academy panel noted, "Past efforts to identify $(other factors$) have failed, and few strong candidates can be postulated at present."

But the only way to do that, as the chairman of the academy panel has said, is to explain why children living near power lines are getting cancer.

An academy panel picked 12, and voters online are to determine who will sing with Mr. Timberlake.