Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then why are all the Chinese origin AI Devs working in USA?
Because you can make insane amounts of money?
DeepSeek and Qwen would pay as much wouldn't they? With the blessings of the state as AI is strategic
New executive order puts all grants under political control
121–130 of 218 posts
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#122This ends science in the United States. You can't really enroll graduate students for a 5 year PHD project if their funding can be pulled at a moment's notice like this.
To play devil's advocate:
- science funding is controlled by the state (and thus politics) in many leading countries, especially China. Doesn't seem to hold them back
- the US pays people vastly more than other countries, and will continue to have the ability to fund expensive research more than others. Maybe it will regain the political will to do so in coming years
You're right that uncertainty is deadly to investment, and signing up for 5 years of a PhD is certainly an investment. But it's hard to see this turn into an actual brain drain, if only for lack of a better place to go.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#123This ends science in the United States. You can't really enroll graduate students for a 5 year PHD project if their funding can be pulled at a moment's notice like this.
This year is definitely the beginning of the end for American scientific leadership. The damage being done is incalculable. The best and brightest simply aren't going to want to come to the U.S. for an uncertain future where they'll be harassed at the airport every trip and then defunded or deported at any time for "political" reasons (a.k.a. racism, bigotry, religion, ignorance and anti-intellectualism). Amazingly,…
Whether it's real or just poor communication a lot of the country felt like the scientific institutions had been weaponized against them. Maybe the constituents of those institutions even believed either making themselves an enemy of the public or creating PR indicating they were was moral but the practical reality of public institutions is that they must have the trust of the public or they will come to an end.
Hopefully people remember this for next time.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The Soviets had the […]first woman,[…] That is quite the claim !
Claim? It's a matter of history. Her name is Valentina Tereshkova, and she's still alive. [0] [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentina_Tereshkova
Woosh! It's clearly a joke. "first woman" vs "first woman in space".
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#125There's a reason the Americans discovered how to make atomic weapons first and it's because their researchers were living under a less oppressive state that wasn't motivated by anti-intellectualism and dumb ideology.
While I agree in spirit on the concern about political interference in science, the Manhattan Project was actually one of the most secretive, tightly controlled government programs in US history. In addition many scientists involved (like Oppenheimer) later faced political persecution during the McCarthy era. American atomic research succeeded despite, or perhaps because of, intense state control and funding
Well, many of the researchers would have been killed if they stayed in Germany. It kinda helps being alive when researching how to build a nuclear bomb.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#126This ends science in the United States. You can't really enroll graduate students for a 5 year PHD project if their funding can be pulled at a moment's notice like this.
This ends USA, full stop. Not this particular executive order, but his orders in general. It's been half a year and that orange turd has completely overtaken USA legislative branch with this "economic emergency", while bobbleheads in the Congress just signed it away voluntarily. And now he is taking preliminary shots at the judicial branch, trying to eradicate judges who aren't bending the knee. All the while testing through his minions if it would be possible to tear down constitution too and remain in power permanently.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#127If European leadership has even half a brain cell this could be the catalyst for enormous growth in European science. But they’d need to act fast.
It is easier for politicians to do nothing, safer and ensures future election win. If someone would say anything serious about inviting those scientists, then his opponents would immediately capitalize on this by shouting from every paid tiktok shill, how he is taking European's jobs and inviting bad immigrants.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#128There's a reason the Americans discovered how to make atomic weapons first and it's because their researchers were living under a less oppressive state that wasn't motivated by anti-intellectualism and dumb ideology.
This is propaganda.
The Manhattan project succeeded because it was consuming a significant portion of the US GDP at the time, the scientists were forced to live on site with their families and every word they said was monitored.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
This year is definitely the beginning of the end for American scientific leadership. The damage being done is incalculable. The best and brightest simply aren't going to want to come to the U.S. for an uncertain future where they'll be harassed at the airport every trip and then defunded or deported at any time for "political" reasons (a.k.a. racism, bigotry, religion, ignorance and anti-intellectualism). Amazingly,…
Whether it's real or just poor communication a lot of the country felt like the scientific institutions had been weaponized against them. Maybe the constituents of those institutions even believed either making themselves an enemy of the public or creating PR indicating they were was moral but the practical reality of public institutions is that they must have the trust of the public or they will come to an end. Hope…
> Whether it's real or just poor communication
Nah, there was nothing "poor communication" about it. It was very well done bad faith communication from bad actors. It was intentional lies. This was not a fault of communication of these institutions. They can not match the lies machine from well founded and motivated political groups. And that is about it.
Re: New executive order puts all grants under political control
#130I don’t really understand why so much of science is funded by the government instead of by private philanthropy. It seems like an obvious channel for corruption of science. Sure private donors have interest driven motives too but it would be diffuse across many areas not concentrated like a political party’s interests.
Because not all science that needs to be done is profitable.
Companies and their shareholders only do things that are profitable.