U.S. science is in chaos

Post by qsera » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 7:16 PM UTC

counters wrote: post #347

NoImmatureAdHom wrote: post #310

Am scientist. We needed change. This seems like a stupid way to get change, but it's better than nothing. Academia was not doing well pre-Trump. The DEI infection ran deep - and it still does. Complete nonsense was getting funded in the social sciences and cognitive science / psychology. It was really tragic. And now all these institutions are saddled with personnel debt. The morons they hired during the DEI moral pa…

> This is a blunt instrument, yes. But things were going very poorly overall, and we needed a shake-up. You do understand that what's happening isn't merely a "shake up", right? It's the coordinated dismantling of structural components of America's innovation economy in ways that will take decades to recover from, if it all (can't do much if emigrants take their talents to China instead of the USA). Strong "cut off y…

Post by JuniperMesos » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 7:16 PM UTC

counters wrote: post #347

NoImmatureAdHom wrote: post #310

Am scientist. We needed change. This seems like a stupid way to get change, but it's better than nothing. Academia was not doing well pre-Trump. The DEI infection ran deep - and it still does. Complete nonsense was getting funded in the social sciences and cognitive science / psychology. It was really tragic. And now all these institutions are saddled with personnel debt. The morons they hired during the DEI moral pa…

> This is a blunt instrument, yes. But things were going very poorly overall, and we needed a shake-up. You do understand that what's happening isn't merely a "shake up", right? It's the coordinated dismantling of structural components of America's innovation economy in ways that will take decades to recover from, if it all (can't do much if emigrants take their talents to China instead of the USA). Strong "cut off y…

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 7:16 PM UTC

drak0n1c wrote: post #352

dwa3592 wrote: post #307

My wife operates an optical trap (a sophisticated microscope, she uses it for studying gene/dna physical properties) and she's pretty good at working with that instrument. The number of people good at working that microscope are in the ballpark of 2000 (+- 1000) in the world! She has cried a lot in the last one year for the mess science research has become. We are moving out of the country at the end of August.

There are many biotech startups and private research labs thriving and paying high salaries with excellent benefits for that specialty right now - focused on genetic testing, editing, and longevity. Before moving abroad, widening the search outside of academia and considering moving internally might be worthwhile.

Post by homerowilson » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 7:17 PM UTC

simojo wrote: post #360

ArmadilloGang wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My family is looking at Missouri to Spain. Why Spain: Expat communities, cost of living, friendly visa options, beautiful climate. Why leave: Sick of U.S. politics and the way it directly and indirectly affects us and how difficult it is to escape from it - it’s a major point of conversations with family and friends, it’s on the local radio, local subreddit, local social media pages, etc. Also, I have over $7k in per…

From what I understand, Spain has their own set of politics worth losing sleep over; perhaps as an expat you won't be as attached though.

Post by mrexroad » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 7:17 PM UTC

Blackstrat wrote: post #395

The government can't fund everything. Too much of the budget is tied up in transfer and interest payments squeezing out other more viable research. The federal government doesn't have unlimited funds. Something has to give.