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Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

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Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#121

Post by blackhaj7 »

nickledave wrote: post #38

the tl;dr: > The NSF’s investments have shaped some of the most transformative technologies of our time—from GPS to the internet—and supported vital research in the social and behavioral sciences that helps the nation understand itself and evaluate its progress toward its democratic ideals. So in 2024, I was honored to be appointed to the National Science Board, which is charged under 42 U.S. Code § 1863 with establi…

"This is what happens when you have VCs huffing their own farts in their Signal echo chamber"

Superb, take a bow!

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#122

Post by lynndotpy »

Onawa wrote: post #25

As a federal contractor within NIH, I can tell you that the damage has already been done to the United States' dominance in science. Even if every action taken by current administration is reversed, the uncertainty for foreign scientists is too much. Many that I have spoken to are looking for their exit from either gov or academic research, or looking to leave the United States completely. The Trump admins cuts are n…

You are entirely correct. The massive investment in science (and the culture of valuing scientific knowledge) that started with the cold war is coming to an end. It turns out that destruction is far easier to do than creation.

I was a PhD student in machine learning during the first Trump administration, and even then things were on very shaky grounds. The Muslim ban alone hit really hard, and was a boon for research institutions outside the US. (Look at Canada's Google Brain branch, for instance.)

But, until recently, there was still the plausibility that the whole Trump thing was a flash in the pan. When Trump lost in 2020, there was a sigh of relief that science would continue in the US.

This is on top of plummeting educational attainment in the US and the as-of-yet uncertain ramifications of students widespread reliance on LLMs.

It is very difficult to imagine a path of returning to the good reputation we had in science.

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#123

Post by jslaby »

apercu wrote: post #94
Xplan wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

>"effectively gutting the least efficient parts of the government (my take, at least from 50,000 view)" Based on what? See, I think of myself as a highly informed, curious person that is a voracious reader and yet I absolutely know I have zero basis to make such a determination. So what data do you have that I don't?

Efficiency is at an all time high now. We can see one air traffic controller handling a workload that would have required ten or more.

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#124

Post by vessenes »

galoisscobi wrote: post #18
vessenes wrote: post #3

Good read; too long to sway public opinion though. The most convincing and interesting thing I’ve read about the US’s science standing is just a reminder that it wasn’t always considered a global science leader. A few people saw the opportunity created by Nazi ideological purges of scientists and built, among other things, Princeton’s IAS. Considered most charitably, the current administration sees itself as trying t…

> Good read; too long to sway public opinion though. Maybe they should have done a TikTok or a YT short? Would that be the right length?

Audience. This will only reach people who agree. It's a lesson Dems just haven't learned yet about where America is in discourse:

Hillary: "This great economy, based on the new globalization means that we will with the help of economists transform Pennsylvania's economic infrastructure away from dirty fuels."

Donald: "I'm going to save coal."

Kamala: "My macroeconomists say this is the best economy the US has ever seen, and they say my plan to help will put money back in American pockets"

Donald: "No taxes on tips."

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#125

Post by robinsoncrusue »

ijk wrote: post #105
robinsoncrusue wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the damage has already been done to the United States' dominance in science Why should my tax dollar subsidize for the dominance of US in science? How has US dominance in science helped the average American taxpayer in last decade other than funneling billions to arms or pharma industry or funding academians being out of touch with the rest of the country?

Other than, say, the GPS on your phone, the internet that you're posting on, or anything like that--you want to know what government-funded basic science has done to benefit you lately, not any of these decade-long timeline projects that are best funded by institutions with long time horizons, such as governments. Yes, we must have results that are brought to market this quarter, so the government-funded research jus…

If my memory serves me correctly, the ones you mentioned were DARPA projects. Which is defense arm - and AFAIK defense budget is not being cut.

I am not against government spending for dominance but I am just simply asking a question when the deficit spending is high and soon the line item for interest expense is greater than the defense budget, is dominance still more of a concern than say, I don't know, Govt unable to pay its debt or inflating away the currency?

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#126

Post by [deleted] »

aaronbaugher wrote: post #88
robinsoncrusue wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the damage has already been done to the United States' dominance in science Why should my tax dollar subsidize for the dominance of US in science? How has US dominance in science helped the average American taxpayer in last decade other than funneling billions to arms or pharma industry or funding academians being out of touch with the rest of the country?

[flagged]

[deleted]

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#127

Post by vessenes »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #60
vessenes wrote: post #3

Good read; too long to sway public opinion though. The most convincing and interesting thing I’ve read about the US’s science standing is just a reminder that it wasn’t always considered a global science leader. A few people saw the opportunity created by Nazi ideological purges of scientists and built, among other things, Princeton’s IAS. Considered most charitably, the current administration sees itself as trying t…

>Considered most charitably, the current administration sees itself as trying to return to an era of imperialism for the good of the country. I mean there's charitable interpretation, then there's being an emu and pretending that the transfer of massive wealth to Trump and his cronies through stock market manipulation (after removing checks on said manipulation, apparently) isn't just wide scale theft. $3.4B to only…

Oh it's clearly a kleptocracy at the top, don't get me wrong. You can have both.

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#128

Post by fzeroracer »

jsbg wrote: post #92
Onawa wrote: post #25

As a federal contractor within NIH, I can tell you that the damage has already been done to the United States' dominance in science. Even if every action taken by current administration is reversed, the uncertainty for foreign scientists is too much. Many that I have spoken to are looking for their exit from either gov or academic research, or looking to leave the United States completely. The Trump admins cuts are n…

> realize that you will most likely end up in industry. > Things are quite bleak right now... you think it's bleak that one's research now has to be profitable rather than being subsidized by people paying taxes?

Why does research have to be profitable? There are many, many smaller diseases and cancers which affect a small subset of the population which will never be 'profitable', but it's important to research for the sake of scientific progress. I fundamentally do not understand how one can be so enthralled by capitalism that they believe we should not research anything unless a shareholder can generate a profit somewhere along the way.

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#129

Post by conn10mfan »

robinsoncrusue wrote: post #125
ijk wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other than, say, the GPS on your phone, the internet that you're posting on, or anything like that--you want to know what government-funded basic science has done to benefit you lately, not any of these decade-long timeline projects that are best funded by institutions with long time horizons, such as governments. Yes, we must have results that are brought to market this quarter, so the government-funded research jus…

If my memory serves me correctly, the ones you mentioned were DARPA projects. Which is defense arm - and AFAIK defense budget is not being cut. I am not against government spending for dominance but I am just simply asking a question when the deficit spending is high and soon the line item for interest expense is greater than the defense budget, is dominance still more of a concern than say, I don't know, Govt unable…

great example of a reverse gish gallop right here, select one point to argue in a response and attempt to discredit someone based on that

brandolini's law in full effect

Re: Why I'm resigning from the National Science Foundation

#130

Post by s1artibartfast »

voxl wrote: post #90
itsoktocry wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

[flagged]

I watched 15 years of Alzheimer's research shut down by NSF and NIH because they refused to touch anything but Amyloid beta. the idea that they are bastions of open mindedness, ethics, or efficiency seems laughable to me.
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