4 ms·

Achieve link (https://archive.is/20260813145232/https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/08/13/the-case-for-overhauling-american-science https://archive.is/

Achieve link (https://archive.is/20260813145232/https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/08/13/the-case-for-overhauling-american-science https://archive.is/20260813145232/https://www.economist.com/...) Maybe I read it wrong but it seems the case being made is to overhaul the current NSF...with a different NSF? Like I'm failing to see what specifically the current government is doing to hamper AI progress that there should be a "focus on harnessing AI and out-competing China", and what harnessing AI actually means.

derbOac 2mo ago
It means funneling public funds to AI and AI-adjacent companies that grease the wheels enough with the administration. It's like everything else: the administration decides it can control funds however it wants, regardless of what was legislated, and leverages those funds for quid pro quo transactions. Say what you will about how to improve academics and scientific research, but the current administration's modus operandi is not the way.
- zmgsabst 2mo ago
  That’s every administration. See previous requirements for ideological statements to receive funding.
  - UltraSane 2mo ago
    Not at all. The Trump administration is the most corrupt in a long time.
deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
rayiner 2mo ago
The difference is giving more power to researchers directly and side-stepping university administration and overhead. See: https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/indirect-cost-rate https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/indirect-cost-rate
- matthewdgreen 2mo ago
  Some of this overhead is nonsense. A lot of it is training and fellowships. Some of it exists because the government has strong regulations to prevent self-dealing and fraud. I certainly think some of those regulations could be relaxed, but I’m not sure this administration would produce better ones.
  - rayiner 2mo ago
    I'd argue we have over-corrected on that stuff. Go back and look how processes worked in the 1950s and 1960s. People used to write relatively short proposals to do quite massive works. It's the meme: "You can just do stuff!" I'd argue that this is one of the advantages of Anglo and Anglo-American culture that has become eroded over time. I've been reading about the British East India Company and how much discretion employees were afforded in carrying out their work: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east-india-company-original-corporate-raiders https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east-india-com.... They had like 35 employees in London and managed to take over Mughal India, which was a gunpowder empire with guns, cannons, 4-5x the state revenues and 25x the population of Britain. Pound for pound it's probably one of the most effective organizations in history.
    - Natfan 2mo ago
      effectiveness does not equate moral or ethical goodness
      - rayiner 2mo ago
        Organizational effectiveness and efficiency is a moral virtue. It's a force multiplier that you can apply to whatever end you think is moral or ethical.
      - fastball 2mo ago
        Moral posturing also doesn't equate to moral or ethical goodness. That said, effectiveness actually is a frequent shortcut to goodness, in that effectiveness often leads to efficiency and efficiency is one of the best methods of indiscriminate uplifting of people in an otherwise unfair and imbalanced world.

derbOac 2mo ago

It means funneling public funds to AI and AI-adjacent companies that grease the wheels enough with the administration. It's like everything else: the administration decides it can control funds however it wants, regardless of what was legislated, and leverages those funds for quid pro quo transactions. Say what you will about how to improve academics and scientific research, but the current administration's modus operandi is not the way.

zmgsabst 2mo ago
That’s every administration. See previous requirements for ideological statements to receive funding.
- UltraSane 2mo ago
  Not at all. The Trump administration is the most corrupt in a long time.

deleted 2mo ago

[deleted]

rayiner 2mo ago

The difference is giving more power to researchers directly and side-stepping university administration and overhead. See: https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/indirect-cost-rate https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/indirect-cost-rate

matthewdgreen 2mo ago
Some of this overhead is nonsense. A lot of it is training and fellowships. Some of it exists because the government has strong regulations to prevent self-dealing and fraud. I certainly think some of those regulations could be relaxed, but I’m not sure this administration would produce better ones.
- rayiner 2mo ago
  I'd argue we have over-corrected on that stuff. Go back and look how processes worked in the 1950s and 1960s. People used to write relatively short proposals to do quite massive works. It's the meme: "You can just do stuff!" I'd argue that this is one of the advantages of Anglo and Anglo-American culture that has become eroded over time. I've been reading about the British East India Company and how much discretion employees were afforded in carrying out their work: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east-india-company-original-corporate-raiders https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east-india-com.... They had like 35 employees in London and managed to take over Mughal India, which was a gunpowder empire with guns, cannons, 4-5x the state revenues and 25x the population of Britain. Pound for pound it's probably one of the most effective organizations in history.
  - Natfan 2mo ago
    effectiveness does not equate moral or ethical goodness
    - rayiner 2mo ago
      Organizational effectiveness and efficiency is a moral virtue. It's a force multiplier that you can apply to whatever end you think is moral or ethical.
    - fastball 2mo ago
      Moral posturing also doesn't equate to moral or ethical goodness. That said, effectiveness actually is a frequent shortcut to goodness, in that effectiveness often leads to efficiency and efficiency is one of the best methods of indiscriminate uplifting of people in an otherwise unfair and imbalanced world.