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We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

theguardian.com

241–250 of 606 posts

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It bears repeating: for everyone who insists that the US Executive Branch isn't compromised by our enemies, what different actions would someone who was compromised and trying to speedrun the destruction of American power, influence, and hegemony have taken?

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Other comparable countries also having roving gangs of secret immigration police that are unbound by the law and the only departments responsible for overseeing them are managed by the same boss that controls them?

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love to, but where to? The Swiss are trying to cap population, the Germans elected the AfD, the UK no longer counts.

Ireland is solid, especially for any sort of biotech/medical. Strong critical skills immigration path, good wages, pretty much every major company has a facility there (many rivaling the US sites in size), friendly and welcoming place. Housing is a bit of struggle, mainly for renters. I made the leap this year. No regrets.

Irish infra is not great if you compare it to many advanced European countries. I hate they still do not have a train/tram connection from the airport to the city. Taxes also make you weep. Not to mention an immense risk of losing all those corp taxes and industry if US pushes ahead and creates barriers for companies to trade. It is great at many things but also has some downsides.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#243
post #140
post #25

>"Billions of dollars have been wiped from research budgets, almost 8,000 grants have been cancelled at NIH and the US National Science Foundation alone, and more than 1,000 NIH employees have been fired." ---------------- Scientists go where science is funded. A large proportion of U.S. scientists are also immigrants, who will tend to go where immigrants are welcomed.

have you seen our school systems, k12. Its terrible and in dire need of a revamp. No child left behind really screwed kids over that want to learn. We cant just let kids pass because of feelings. Made schools better, have alternative paths for kids that are not excelling like some of their peers and find school hard to sit through.

Don’t forget campaigning to remove standardized testing from admissions processes even leading to UCSD having to create remedial math classes for their engineering students.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idk, I think a much more effective way to destroy the US would be to send armed gangs through the streets and have them kidnap people from their houses at random. That would cause far more destruction than merely telling people you were doing that without actually doing it.

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Arresting people solely on the basis of their skin color or having an accent is akin to kidnapping. How many legal residents and citizens are you comfortable with being arrested without a sound legal basis? My number is zero.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It bears repeating: for everyone who insists that the US Executive Branch isn't compromised by our enemies, what different actions would someone who was compromised and trying to speedrun the destruction of American power, influence, and hegemony have taken?

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The majority of Americans support immigration enforcement, the majority does not support how it's being done. Enforcement of the law is not the evil you see people being upset about.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find the Peter mention funny because some of the other reasons he said it made sense to move to SF were that labor laws in Europe wouldn’t allow him to work 6-7 days a week, and he’d have to focus more on safety/responsibility in mind in Europe. He’s moving from London after all, arguably the global AI research hub. (Also likely SA told him the offer was contingent on him relocating)

Nobody would stop him from working 6-7 days a week. Only for forcing his employees to do this involuntarily for him.

Kinda tells you all you need to know about US startup culture.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's really not about this - it's that for decades we've been able to draw top global talent to the US. We've cut research funding so heavy that we can't even support post docs who are American citizens now. My friends are going to Europe, Canada, Hong Kong.

How important can that be? America’s only real competitor technologically is China. And they’ve had essentially no immigration of “top talent.”

They imported top graduate student talent that went to the us and might have wished to stay but could not or wouldn't put up with the H1-B indentured servitude or was better paid back home or just patriotic.

Also - less financialization. In US, a statistician goes to work for any 3-letter agency or high finance. In a less financialized economy they might devote themselves to crystallography instead.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#249

In all important areas such as clean energy, fusion energy, biotechnology and AI the Chinese government is heavily investing in and pushing Chinese companies to lead the world. China Is Outspending the U.S. to Achieve the ‘Holy Grail’ of Clean Energy: Fusion See: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/climate/china-us-fusion-e... America's lead in biotechnology is slipping, while China has made synthetic biology a nation…

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This comment seems crazy to me.

Chinas political stance more closely resembles right-wing policies than left leaning ones.

All the xenophobic notions you are talking about china has in spades.

I am not saying China is not doing things right here will lead to your described outcome, what I am saying you conflation with western politics is completely out of this world, and is a excellent example of why the outcome you describe may be a reality for China.

Re: We're no longer attracting top talent: the brain drain killing American science

#250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idk, I think a much more effective way to destroy the US would be to send armed gangs through the streets and have them kidnap people from their houses at random. That would cause far more destruction than merely telling people you were doing that without actually doing it.

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What happened to George Retes was not law enforcement
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