First, I'm going to start with what is probably the least significant bad news in the grand scheme of things. I arrived onto campus this morning to find that my building does not have air conditioning. As I write this, it is not quite 9:00 am, and the thermostat in my office just hit 80 degrees and is rising fast. I mean, seriously, it's like the hottest week in human history and the air conditioning decides to peter out now? Let me tell you, if it wasn't 9 am, I'd be packing up my computer and heading to the pub to do my proposal writing with a cold refreshing craft beer. Not that I have anything against enjoying an adult beverage in the morning. The pub just isn't open yet.
Now for the other bad news, which is somewhat more important than my mild discomfort. While reading through one of my new favorite blogs, The Evolving Scientist, I ran across this post. It looks like NASA and the NSF are going to see significant cuts in their budgets. And that means less money being sent down the pipe to researchers like me in the form of research grants. Even more troubling is that this will also mean less money being spent on science education, which is one of NSF's primary directives. I suppose this was inevitable, as we are currently creeping through what is being called the Lesser Depression - the result of the 2008-2009 economic recession and the subsequent and continuing lack of action by the federal government. It still really sucks, though.
I don't think that the Lesser Depression is as much to blame as the Tiny Dark Age we are seeing in this country regarding the appreciation of Science. It is just even worse that this Mini Dark Age perpetuates itself through education cuts. I heard on NPR that the agreement they are currently working on is 1 part tax increase 2 parts spending cuts with 1/2 of cuts from defense. I bet most of those defense cuts go to the scientific aspects of the DoD instead of reducing our use of military contractors and cutting back on troops. There's a little more doom and gloom for ya. BTW, here in Oregon, I am very jealous of the hot humid MO weather. I miss it a lot. It is impossible to go swimming here. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteLuke, you're absolutely right. But even in the midst of the 'Tiny Dark Age,' the science budget was more or less on autopilot since it was easy to protest any cuts as hurting our children and future generation - which, coincidentally, is true. But the Lesser Depression has given lawmakers, conservatives in particular, the ammunition and public backing that they've long sought to finally start gutting science programs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment and thanks for reading. Give me a call the next you're here in MO.