4 ms·

I was going to cite the USDA as my primary example. I have been hearing a lot of this from ARS, FSA and NRRL, and although their specific problems are different

I was going to cite the USDA as my primary example. I have been hearing a lot of this from ARS, FSA and NRRL, and although their specific problems are different there is a definitely a common theme. The USDA NRRL type culture collection is currently slated to be autoclaved and shut down, which would destroy the only known publically available reference samples of many industrially and medically important microorganisms, including many that are critical to food safety testing and the original source of antibiotic compounds (the original source of pennicillin is in that collection).

ska 7y ago
That sounds insane.
- vallismortis 7y ago
  This collection has been in place since before World War II. As soon as the freezers are unplugged, there is no going back.
  - ska 7y ago
    > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed. However popular that aphorism is, it isn't actually the definition of insanity.
    - mattkrause 7y ago
      Dogs are mammals. Mammals aren’t dogs.
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      - laumars 7y ago
        'Dog' and 'mammal' are two distinct terms, 'insanity' and 'insanity' are not.
        mattkrause 7y ago
        “Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” and “insanity” are also different. The former might be a form of the latter, but you can certainly be insane in other ways.
        laumars 7y ago
        Sure, but that wasn't what the OP said. They said: > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed. ie suggesting the opposite of your point; that the term "insanity" is more narrowly defined rather than broadly defined.
    - vallismortis 7y ago
      Fair point, I deleted the sentence.
  - laumars 7y ago
    > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed No it doesn't. You might be thinking of that meme often miss-attributing that alternative definition as an Einstein wisdom; but that quote is about as accurate as the claim of who said it.
  - ska 7y ago
    Canada did something similarly irretrievable with a bunch of scientific records during last federal conservative rule.
deertick1 7y ago
Could you cite this? I'm not finding any evidence that this is the case
- vallismortis 7y ago
  https://www.pjstar.com/news/20170523/trump-budget-calls-for-shutdown-of-peoria-ag-lab https://www.pjstar.com/news/20170523/trump-budget-calls-for-...
louky 7y ago
Isn't that only in the trump budget, which is only a request?
- vallismortis 7y ago
  It has been a part of every budget proposal since 2017. It was only removed from the FY2020 list this past March as part of a deal to get the budget passed: https://lahood.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lahood-bustos-statement-after-peoria-ag-lab-removed-closure-list-fy2020 https://lahood.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lahood-...

ska 7y ago

That sounds insane.

vallismortis 7y ago
This collection has been in place since before World War II. As soon as the freezers are unplugged, there is no going back.
- ska 7y ago
  > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed. However popular that aphorism is, it isn't actually the definition of insanity.
  - mattkrause 7y ago
    Dogs are mammals. Mammals aren’t dogs.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - laumars 7y ago
      'Dog' and 'mammal' are two distinct terms, 'insanity' and 'insanity' are not.
      - mattkrause 7y ago
        “Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” and “insanity” are also different. The former might be a form of the latter, but you can certainly be insane in other ways.
        laumars 7y ago
        Sure, but that wasn't what the OP said. They said: > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed. ie suggesting the opposite of your point; that the term "insanity" is more narrowly defined rather than broadly defined.
  - vallismortis 7y ago
    Fair point, I deleted the sentence.
- laumars 7y ago
  > Insanity is the wrong term, because it would imply repeating something that has already failed No it doesn't. You might be thinking of that meme often miss-attributing that alternative definition as an Einstein wisdom; but that quote is about as accurate as the claim of who said it.
- ska 7y ago
  Canada did something similarly irretrievable with a bunch of scientific records during last federal conservative rule.

deertick1 7y ago

Could you cite this? I'm not finding any evidence that this is the case

vallismortis 7y ago
https://www.pjstar.com/news/20170523/trump-budget-calls-for-shutdown-of-peoria-ag-lab https://www.pjstar.com/news/20170523/trump-budget-calls-for-...

louky 7y ago

Isn't that only in the trump budget, which is only a request?

vallismortis 7y ago
It has been a part of every budget proposal since 2017. It was only removed from the FY2020 list this past March as part of a deal to get the budget passed: https://lahood.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lahood-bustos-statement-after-peoria-ag-lab-removed-closure-list-fy2020 https://lahood.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lahood-...