angrysoba
Philosophile
Sean Carroll has a good podcast episode out about the impact of proposed budget cuts to U.S. science funding under Trump's administration.
One of the main points of attack by Musk, who is, after all, the driving force of this is that overheads have to be massively slashed from sometimes around 60% to a maximum of 15%.
How does Musk come up with that figure? Does anyone know?
Anyway, Sean Carroll explains why that is unreasonable. He gives a very clear and unhyperbolic argument about why the overheads are not only necessary, but also, typically, are insufficient. He explains why this is likely to result in fewer research scientists seeing the US as a good place to further their careers, and an actually good reason for scientists to leave the country. He also points to the ways that this will also have an impact on overseas scientists wanting to collaborate with US insitutions, and how a lack of research will also make the universities less desirable.
Furthermore, he also points to another problem, albeit less related to science, and that is the fact it is downright illegal for Musk and DOGE to be doing this. This is of course why the courts have stepped in, although we have already seen that Musk and Mini Me have been pushed in front of the press (or at least those in the press who say the shibboleths), to explain why bureaucracy and courts are unelected, etc...
That said, for now, it looks like the courts are attempting to put a stop to this...
I'd be interested to hear in particular from people who either work in science in the US, or have collaborated with people who do, or somehow have some connection to science in the US....
One of the main points of attack by Musk, who is, after all, the driving force of this is that overheads have to be massively slashed from sometimes around 60% to a maximum of 15%.
How does Musk come up with that figure? Does anyone know?
Anyway, Sean Carroll explains why that is unreasonable. He gives a very clear and unhyperbolic argument about why the overheads are not only necessary, but also, typically, are insufficient. He explains why this is likely to result in fewer research scientists seeing the US as a good place to further their careers, and an actually good reason for scientists to leave the country. He also points to the ways that this will also have an impact on overseas scientists wanting to collaborate with US insitutions, and how a lack of research will also make the universities less desirable.
Furthermore, he also points to another problem, albeit less related to science, and that is the fact it is downright illegal for Musk and DOGE to be doing this. This is of course why the courts have stepped in, although we have already seen that Musk and Mini Me have been pushed in front of the press (or at least those in the press who say the shibboleths), to explain why bureaucracy and courts are unelected, etc...
That said, for now, it looks like the courts are attempting to put a stop to this...
Link
I'd be interested to hear in particular from people who either work in science in the US, or have collaborated with people who do, or somehow have some connection to science in the US....
