Particularly striking is their cutting off of funds for NASA, cancelling several long-anticipated missions, etc. There's nothing remotely political about NASA, they're one of the purest representations of science for science's sake. And they even give Elon a lot of his money!
Which makes one wonder how much of this is pure incompetence/stupidity/nihilism versus hamfisted "anti-woke" purging. I still think it's mostly the latter, but there sure does seem to be a lot of the former!
Do you think the Palestinian "students" are more intellectual than Trump? You should spend more time with them and really get to know them. Their idea of "intellectual" is eight of them trying to intimidate one Jew. (Brief University of Colorado campus episode during the Six Day war in 1967. They decided eight Arab officers from "good families" weren't enough to intimidate the Jew if I was going to stand around and watch them make fools of their selves. Yeah they were real intellectual, not unintellectual like an orange guy.
I don’t understand the context of your reply. Do you think an unguided missile attack on our scientific research apparatus is a sensible reaction to the intimidation of Jewish students? Do you think the majority of research funded by NIH is ideologically motivated against Jewish people?
Basically, Research is acting as human shield. If it stopped acting as human shield, there would be no reduction in funding. It's like civilians knowing that that building in Gaza will have a missile striking it in a short while, and then they come out on top of that building and throw a party there.
Anyway, research funds are mobile. If a researcher wants to move from Boston to Miami he will be able to take 100% of the funds with him.
I don’t know where to begin to address this. You think the Marxist professor in the philosophy or English department is moonlighting in the biochemistry lab? Figuring out how to destroy the conservative cancer cells and incubate the leftist ones? The notion that our universities are conspiratorial political clubs is an incoherent fiction. You may have what Steven Pinker described as Harvard Derangement Syndrome.
The reason why few professors in any field register as Republicans is because Republicans spurn intellectual curiosity, non-profit motivation, and cosmopolitanism, the basic culture of academia.
I worked in labs so know that people who are successful with many grants have a strong position vs their faculties. Grants come with overheads. Deans come over on regular basis and ask unasked how one would like to improve things. If faculties don't listen, these multi-grantholders go away somewhere else. So exerting political pressure is as easy as saying 1, 2, 3. Particularly if they are supported by NIH and NSF in possible relocation. If they don't want to exert political pressure over the pro-Hamas protests, it's their choice.
This is pretty simple to analyze I think. Trump and MAGA don't see themselves as the leaders of all Americans, they see themselves as leaders of half the country against the other half. Scientists, bureaucrats, and academics are in the other half and harming them is a positive good in itself.
War on science? Too much weed the last few weeks for you!
Trump wants college libraries to be quiet places that will breed future scientists (and engineers, too, don't forget us!). You apparently think libraries should breed wackos and bombers and killers and host show trials for the future scientists. You don't see how wrong you are. How can you be so wrong?
Who has a vision for making future scientists (and other STEM people)? An orange man who thinks quiet libraries (and campuses) can make scientists. Or a guy with TDS level 5 who thinks campus turmoil and occupying libraries two weeks before finals can make scientists.
You're not really that silly, are you? I remember guys like you in 1967 and 1968 who wanted to use violence to change the world. But, they weren't dumb enough to drive fellow students out of libraries. What is wrong with you.
(Yeah, back in 1967 I thought I was an up-and-comer in the SDS. Occasionally I thank God that the wife of one of the wackos I wanted to emulate told her I was just another useful idiot for the cause, someone to be expended at the right time. I think her husband got off on the idea of dressing me in a suicide belt. )
It would be great if we didn't need orange men. Wouldn't want my daughter to marry one. But, until you get treatment for your TDS, we will continue to need them to protect us from you and your brothers and sisters in the struggle. You could make Trump go away if you'd get therapy and get better drugs for the Palestinians pretending to be students and start working to make the world a better place. Sigh.
Wish my Dad and Mom were still alive so I could apologize for being a pro-SDS idiot. You still have that change. Please take it.
He started by insisting that the loud people loudly occupying the Library leave campus and not be allowed to come back.
It's pretty simple. I was tossed out of the University of Denver library when I was 12 -- rode a 24" bike on big Denver streets to get there and sit in a carel (sp?) singing while reading a book about the Napoleonic wars. The librarian tossing me out of the library made an impression on me.
This whole joke about "war against science" is that could have been ended quickly if the University president had made simple basic changes: mostly, insisting that students behave on campus. But when the adults won't do their job, you have to keep turning up the pressure until the adults act like adults. S I Hawakaewa (sp?) gave every university president a template of how to force students to behave: use an ax to turn of the loud speakers interrupting serious students.
There is no war on science. What is going on is educating people stupider than mules.
"Mule trainer is asked how he is able to train such stubborn animals and he says, “Let me show you.” He then grabs a 2 x 4 and whacks the mule upside the head with it. “First, you get their attention.”
We give scientists money and resources to figure out stuff. Some times the scientists get confused about why we give them money and resources so they waste money and resources on on activities that the people who supplied the money and resources don't give a hoot about.
If the donors don't get out 2x4s to reminded the scientists why they are given money the scientists will get further and further away from figuring out the stuff that got them the money and resources. Like everyone else. scientists are free to do whatever they want as long as it's not too illegal. But, they have no promises of money or resources if they don't figure stuff out that the people with money and resources want to know about.
FYI: Hope i didn't previously post about this topic. If so, I apologize. Got a bad case of Old-timer's disease. My daughter frequently reminds me I am consuming money and resources without figuring stuff out. (Or, at least not making more messes.)
I sympathize with the scientists but I understand I am lucky my daughter tries to keep me on target. I thank her for that. The off-track scientists should be thanking the donors not whining about there terrible life of having to do work other people want done!
it is a fact that institutions of higher learning and research are OVERWHELMINGLY skewed to the left of the political spectrum in terms of their faculties, professors, administrators and so on. That alone is enough to question the reasoning and output of the "scientific " community of said institutions. A perfect example is the ridiculous claim by a bunch of scientists that because of human output of CO2 we are headed to a climate catastrophe... similar to "acid rain", "boiling oceans", "disappearing ozone", remember those? The Club of Rome quite literally MADE UP "Global Warming" (it was called global warming until the "scientists" had to admit to a global cooling trend so they just slapped some new lipstick on the same pig and called it "climate change" ) as a means to control populations via "green agendas".... we know what's best for you.
I say we, the people... shall take a very close look at what the "scientists" are producing, as well as who its for and who's funding it. God bless America 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇦
Hi Richard, the thing that doesn't seem to be in your line of sight on this issue, is that for decades now, the amount of taxpayer funded research with a 'Science' tag, has been expanding to employ the every growing number of credentialled aspirants available for its completion. (See Northcote C. Parkinson.) Too much of what is being funded, is being justified by virtuous intention, when often the only discernable outcome is sustenance of the professors and their departments.
Your post proposes ending the grant system while promoting “ funding truly revolutionary ideas.”
Where do you think the money will come from? How do you support ending the grant system and proposing nothing to replace it? How does this not reduce research overall?
If you have concrete ideas for how to reform the grant system, many people would love to read it.
I believe that this is all part of the religious plan for America (project 2025). Attack typically liberal bastions (atheistic), dumb down the population, and remove social support (healthcare, food stamps, etc), with the net intent to drive people back to churches for
The amount of Low Human Capital in the comments section is hilarious.
It's amazingly bad.
Sadly, I can't tell whether (either of) you are referring to the comments section on the Unherd post or on this one.
Particularly striking is their cutting off of funds for NASA, cancelling several long-anticipated missions, etc. There's nothing remotely political about NASA, they're one of the purest representations of science for science's sake. And they even give Elon a lot of his money!
Which makes one wonder how much of this is pure incompetence/stupidity/nihilism versus hamfisted "anti-woke" purging. I still think it's mostly the latter, but there sure does seem to be a lot of the former!
Unintellectual people will not understand the value of scientific research.
Do you think the Palestinian "students" are more intellectual than Trump? You should spend more time with them and really get to know them. Their idea of "intellectual" is eight of them trying to intimidate one Jew. (Brief University of Colorado campus episode during the Six Day war in 1967. They decided eight Arab officers from "good families" weren't enough to intimidate the Jew if I was going to stand around and watch them make fools of their selves. Yeah they were real intellectual, not unintellectual like an orange guy.
I don’t understand the context of your reply. Do you think an unguided missile attack on our scientific research apparatus is a sensible reaction to the intimidation of Jewish students? Do you think the majority of research funded by NIH is ideologically motivated against Jewish people?
Basically, Research is acting as human shield. If it stopped acting as human shield, there would be no reduction in funding. It's like civilians knowing that that building in Gaza will have a missile striking it in a short while, and then they come out on top of that building and throw a party there.
Anyway, research funds are mobile. If a researcher wants to move from Boston to Miami he will be able to take 100% of the funds with him.
I don’t know where to begin to address this. You think the Marxist professor in the philosophy or English department is moonlighting in the biochemistry lab? Figuring out how to destroy the conservative cancer cells and incubate the leftist ones? The notion that our universities are conspiratorial political clubs is an incoherent fiction. You may have what Steven Pinker described as Harvard Derangement Syndrome.
The reason why few professors in any field register as Republicans is because Republicans spurn intellectual curiosity, non-profit motivation, and cosmopolitanism, the basic culture of academia.
Bla bla bla
I worked in labs so know that people who are successful with many grants have a strong position vs their faculties. Grants come with overheads. Deans come over on regular basis and ask unasked how one would like to improve things. If faculties don't listen, these multi-grantholders go away somewhere else. So exerting political pressure is as easy as saying 1, 2, 3. Particularly if they are supported by NIH and NSF in possible relocation. If they don't want to exert political pressure over the pro-Hamas protests, it's their choice.
This is pretty simple to analyze I think. Trump and MAGA don't see themselves as the leaders of all Americans, they see themselves as leaders of half the country against the other half. Scientists, bureaucrats, and academics are in the other half and harming them is a positive good in itself.
..correct. The self dealing of the people who populate 'The Science' is the problem that needs to be corrected.
War on science? Too much weed the last few weeks for you!
Trump wants college libraries to be quiet places that will breed future scientists (and engineers, too, don't forget us!). You apparently think libraries should breed wackos and bombers and killers and host show trials for the future scientists. You don't see how wrong you are. How can you be so wrong?
Who has a vision for making future scientists (and other STEM people)? An orange man who thinks quiet libraries (and campuses) can make scientists. Or a guy with TDS level 5 who thinks campus turmoil and occupying libraries two weeks before finals can make scientists.
You're not really that silly, are you? I remember guys like you in 1967 and 1968 who wanted to use violence to change the world. But, they weren't dumb enough to drive fellow students out of libraries. What is wrong with you.
(Yeah, back in 1967 I thought I was an up-and-comer in the SDS. Occasionally I thank God that the wife of one of the wackos I wanted to emulate told her I was just another useful idiot for the cause, someone to be expended at the right time. I think her husband got off on the idea of dressing me in a suicide belt. )
It would be great if we didn't need orange men. Wouldn't want my daughter to marry one. But, until you get treatment for your TDS, we will continue to need them to protect us from you and your brothers and sisters in the struggle. You could make Trump go away if you'd get therapy and get better drugs for the Palestinians pretending to be students and start working to make the world a better place. Sigh.
Wish my Dad and Mom were still alive so I could apologize for being a pro-SDS idiot. You still have that change. Please take it.
What the fuck are you talking about? Cutting science funding doesn't get protestors out of the library. Please think before leaving a comment.
What's one thing Crazy Donald has done to make college libraries quieter?
Well, to be fair, if you kick out all the students the libraries will be plenty quiet.
If you kick all the Palestinians out of the libraries, the students will still be there. There will just be less noise.
He started by insisting that the loud people loudly occupying the Library leave campus and not be allowed to come back.
It's pretty simple. I was tossed out of the University of Denver library when I was 12 -- rode a 24" bike on big Denver streets to get there and sit in a carel (sp?) singing while reading a book about the Napoleonic wars. The librarian tossing me out of the library made an impression on me.
This whole joke about "war against science" is that could have been ended quickly if the University president had made simple basic changes: mostly, insisting that students behave on campus. But when the adults won't do their job, you have to keep turning up the pressure until the adults act like adults. S I Hawakaewa (sp?) gave every university president a template of how to force students to behave: use an ax to turn of the loud speakers interrupting serious students.
I want to breed in college libraries 🥺
There is no war on science. What is going on is educating people stupider than mules.
"Mule trainer is asked how he is able to train such stubborn animals and he says, “Let me show you.” He then grabs a 2 x 4 and whacks the mule upside the head with it. “First, you get their attention.”
We give scientists money and resources to figure out stuff. Some times the scientists get confused about why we give them money and resources so they waste money and resources on on activities that the people who supplied the money and resources don't give a hoot about.
If the donors don't get out 2x4s to reminded the scientists why they are given money the scientists will get further and further away from figuring out the stuff that got them the money and resources. Like everyone else. scientists are free to do whatever they want as long as it's not too illegal. But, they have no promises of money or resources if they don't figure stuff out that the people with money and resources want to know about.
FYI: Hope i didn't previously post about this topic. If so, I apologize. Got a bad case of Old-timer's disease. My daughter frequently reminds me I am consuming money and resources without figuring stuff out. (Or, at least not making more messes.)
I sympathize with the scientists but I understand I am lucky my daughter tries to keep me on target. I thank her for that. The off-track scientists should be thanking the donors not whining about there terrible life of having to do work other people want done!
it is a fact that institutions of higher learning and research are OVERWHELMINGLY skewed to the left of the political spectrum in terms of their faculties, professors, administrators and so on. That alone is enough to question the reasoning and output of the "scientific " community of said institutions. A perfect example is the ridiculous claim by a bunch of scientists that because of human output of CO2 we are headed to a climate catastrophe... similar to "acid rain", "boiling oceans", "disappearing ozone", remember those? The Club of Rome quite literally MADE UP "Global Warming" (it was called global warming until the "scientists" had to admit to a global cooling trend so they just slapped some new lipstick on the same pig and called it "climate change" ) as a means to control populations via "green agendas".... we know what's best for you.
I say we, the people... shall take a very close look at what the "scientists" are producing, as well as who its for and who's funding it. God bless America 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇦
Cannot tell whether parody
Hi Richard, the thing that doesn't seem to be in your line of sight on this issue, is that for decades now, the amount of taxpayer funded research with a 'Science' tag, has been expanding to employ the every growing number of credentialled aspirants available for its completion. (See Northcote C. Parkinson.) Too much of what is being funded, is being justified by virtuous intention, when often the only discernable outcome is sustenance of the professors and their departments.
Hi Richard, somehow I agreed with Trump, let me explain why. Science has expended millions of dollars trying to define Consciousness. These funds have been given to persons who have political influence. See my post here about this problem: https://theperceptionshift.substack.com/p/the-alpha-trap-how-prestige-and-grants?r=5q3x5r
Your post proposes ending the grant system while promoting “ funding truly revolutionary ideas.”
Where do you think the money will come from? How do you support ending the grant system and proposing nothing to replace it? How does this not reduce research overall?
If you have concrete ideas for how to reform the grant system, many people would love to read it.
Here is my response to your interested question: https://open.substack.com/pub/theperceptionshift/p/rethinking-scientific-progress-beyond?r=5q3x5r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I believe that this is all part of the religious plan for America (project 2025). Attack typically liberal bastions (atheistic), dumb down the population, and remove social support (healthcare, food stamps, etc), with the net intent to drive people back to churches for
Support.
The problem is that DJT is probably the least religious President in the last 150 years.
He's only ever been a figurehead for the cadre of really terrible people behind him who are responsible for his policy.
Everyone forgets how bad the Bush era Republican Party was and how Trump is a continuation of the same vindictive and divisive style of GOP rule.
Trump is to Democrats what the Philistines were to the Hebrews, a scourge released on them by God for waiting till 2024 to force Biden put.