4 ms·

1. It’s about the culture wars and also “evening the score” against opponents of Trump and MAGA. The Trump administration seems to be hellbent on “sticking it

1. It’s about the culture wars and also “evening the score” against opponents of Trump and MAGA. The Trump administration seems to be hellbent on “sticking it” to people, groups, institutions, and even nations that opposed him. Scientists and academics in general are on his hit list. There has always been an anti-intellectual bent on American society, but never have I seen it weaponized like this. Moreover, it’s unlikely that such policies will face blowback among Trump’s voting base. There are conservative scientists and academics whose careers have been upended by these moves, but they are a minority, and there aren’t enough of them to significantly erode the GOP’s electability. 2. It’s also about power and control. “He who pays the piper calls the tune,” and Trump and his administration are reveling in their abilities to withhold federal dollars (paid for with the tax monies from all American taxpayers, Trump- and non-Trump voter alike) from targeted agencies and institutions unless they meet whatever diktats they demand. It’s a scary time for science in America now. Science is already dealing with the “publish-or-perish” culture of academia, the fact that academics are pressured to raise recurrent streams of grant money in order to earn tenure, and the fact that industrial labs are increasingly driven by short-term business pursuits instead of longer-term, more speculative projects. These disruptive freezes of NIH and NSF funds, as well as the targeted attacks on universities such as Columbia and UPenn over culture war matters, are reckless and destructive. If this does not stop soon, this could set back American science and research for decades.

fallingknife 2y ago
The universities took sides in the culture war instead of remaining neutral educational institutions like they are supposed to be. I have little sympathy for them now that the other side is firing back. I don't want to see valuable research at these universities cut back either, but they need to take their share of the blame and remove the political cancer eating them alive. It's not the physics department that's drawing fire from the Trump administration.
- defrost 2y ago
  It's many departments, including physics, including education. This specific article is part of a series, this part is about the National Institutes of Health where the cuts are so deep that: People inside the Division of Intramural Research (the in-house research groups) have been told in so many words that "the vast majority of our legitimate DIR ordering needs are not currently able to be fulfilled". So they're having to triage and try to get spending done that directly impacts human and animal safety and ongoing clinical research. they are literally working out what to save that will kill the fewest numbers of people, animals, and programs down the line. > the political cancer eating them alive. This sounds hyperbolic, perhaps sourced from a Fox News or Tucker Carlson take on DEI in the sciences.
  - fallingknife 2y ago
    My dad runs a university lab and is forced to put DEI nonsense in his research grants. It's real. And none of the front line researchers in hard science likes it, but they aren't the ones making the rules.

fallingknife 2y ago

The universities took sides in the culture war instead of remaining neutral educational institutions like they are supposed to be. I have little sympathy for them now that the other side is firing back. I don't want to see valuable research at these universities cut back either, but they need to take their share of the blame and remove the political cancer eating them alive. It's not the physics department that's drawing fire from the Trump administration.

defrost 2y ago
It's many departments, including physics, including education. This specific article is part of a series, this part is about the National Institutes of Health where the cuts are so deep that: People inside the Division of Intramural Research (the in-house research groups) have been told in so many words that "the vast majority of our legitimate DIR ordering needs are not currently able to be fulfilled". So they're having to triage and try to get spending done that directly impacts human and animal safety and ongoing clinical research. they are literally working out what to save that will kill the fewest numbers of people, animals, and programs down the line. > the political cancer eating them alive. This sounds hyperbolic, perhaps sourced from a Fox News or Tucker Carlson take on DEI in the sciences.
- fallingknife 2y ago
  My dad runs a university lab and is forced to put DEI nonsense in his research grants. It's real. And none of the front line researchers in hard science likes it, but they aren't the ones making the rules.