I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
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The people I know are people deeply involved in the *health* of science itself. STEM equity, access to STEM programs, outreach; Ashley and I have only survived in our own careers by being a part of this community as much as we can. Everyone I know doing STEM education work has constantly accepted less pay to do more, constantly solves crises and constantly helps students. Now so demonized, erased and defunded.
To see my wife and friends go through this and remain brave, remain resilient, and remain committed to working on behalf of others even in the face of great threat, it has changed my standards of what it means for people to be clear on the meaning of their work and brave in the face of opposition.
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The people I know are people deeply involved in the *health* of science itself. STEM equity, access to STEM programs, outreach; Ashley and I have only survived in our own careers by being a part of this community as much as we can. Everyone I know doing STEM education work has constantly accepted less pay to do more, constantly solves crises and constantly helps students. Now so demonized, erased and defunded.
@grimalkina It’s heartbreaking. I cannot imagine the entire ecosystem that I spent my career in (not science btw) being annihilated out of spite. Out of hatred for a reality that does not fit one’s beliefs.
The US is not only shooting itself in the foot, it is rubbing manure into the wound to make sure that they get an infection and maybe even tetanus or anthrax. They are willfully transporting themselves back to a pre-modern era. But the world will move on without them.
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina I used to work for N.S.F.-funded applied research institute (it would pull in some of the best mathematicians from around the world to work on bi-annual symposia).
I recently tried to get in contact with a friend there, and the e-mail bounced. Curious to see if I could get in contact with someone there, I went to the web page. No more; the institute was shuttered in entirety.
It's amazing how much the country has just pissed away all because of hating experts and expertise.
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina %$&$+ project 2025 and their cultural revolution
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
And now, alas, Trump has fired the entire governing board of the NSF:
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R relay@relay.publicsquare.global shared this topicR relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
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To see my wife and friends go through this and remain brave, remain resilient, and remain committed to working on behalf of others even in the face of great threat, it has changed my standards of what it means for people to be clear on the meaning of their work and brave in the face of opposition.
@grimalkina Modern-day burning of the Library of Alexandria happening right before our eyes.
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To see my wife and friends go through this and remain brave, remain resilient, and remain committed to working on behalf of others even in the face of great threat, it has changed my standards of what it means for people to be clear on the meaning of their work and brave in the face of opposition.
As a fly-on-the-wall observer of scientists working hard to protect people from natural hazards (I'm overhearing a tsunami resilience conference call as I write this) it's tooth-grindingly awful to witness the downward slide.
The ignoramuses driving this degeneration have zero clue on how dedicated these people are, how they're the best possible bargain for taxpayers, working hours most people would refuse. They're creating a gap vastly larger than what a line item in a budget can describe.
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
It's rough when friends innocently say "How's it going?"
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To see my wife and friends go through this and remain brave, remain resilient, and remain committed to working on behalf of others even in the face of great threat, it has changed my standards of what it means for people to be clear on the meaning of their work and brave in the face of opposition.
@grimalkina It will be so much work to rebuild all this in the post-Trump time. I cross my fingers that the recovery will be fast - but I have my doubts. -
I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina the space launch excitement hits a little different right now for sure.
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@grimalkina the space launch excitement hits a little different right now for sure.
@worldsworstgoth yeah it's never really been clearer to me how much people interact with "science" like it's just television and not a human activity we rely on
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
This country has never been a fan of expertise.
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As a fly-on-the-wall observer of scientists working hard to protect people from natural hazards (I'm overhearing a tsunami resilience conference call as I write this) it's tooth-grindingly awful to witness the downward slide.
The ignoramuses driving this degeneration have zero clue on how dedicated these people are, how they're the best possible bargain for taxpayers, working hours most people would refuse. They're creating a gap vastly larger than what a line item in a budget can describe.
@Doug_Bostrom @grimalkina
All the old heartfelt words about protecting #democracy ring hollow. Democracy is the system of government that put 4547 in the White House. Twice.
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina it is really, really bad. I do think something has been fundamentally broken, which was of course the complete intent. People, careers unalterably damaged and so much important knowledge discarded. #Science
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I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina Yeah...
I've stumbled upon folks that got their position axed from one day to the other.
- I hope that one radio astronomer from NRAO was accepted at Max-Planck - Institute for Radio Astronomy...
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@Doug_Bostrom @grimalkina
All the old heartfelt words about protecting #democracy ring hollow. Democracy is the system of government that put 4547 in the White House. Twice.Not democracy but ignorance in enlisted service of self-interest.
If a radio isn't receiving the station one wants, one tunes (or repairs it) it as opposed to claiming "radio is a hoax."
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Not democracy but ignorance in enlisted service of self-interest.
If a radio isn't receiving the station one wants, one tunes (or repairs it) it as opposed to claiming "radio is a hoax."
@Doug_Bostrom @mrundkvist @grimalkina
Well put. Thank you. Some want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. -
@Doug_Bostrom @mrundkvist @grimalkina
Well put. Thank you. Some want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.@Barbramon1 @Doug_Bostrom @grimalkina
I don't know of any better system of government than #democracy. But the past ten years have convinced me that it's really bad. It's a system that insists that morons must be allowed to vote for crooks. Only the other systems are even worse. -
@Barbramon1 @Doug_Bostrom @grimalkina
I don't know of any better system of government than #democracy. But the past ten years have convinced me that it's really bad. It's a system that insists that morons must be allowed to vote for crooks. Only the other systems are even worse.@mrundkvist @Doug_Bostrom @grimalkina Democracy has worked for a long time. Without the Electoral College and Citizens United it would function a lot better.
If you can come up with a better system, work to make it happen. For now we must use what we have, and refine it so that it benefits all of us. -
I have said and will continue to say most people have zero idea what it's like for scientists in the US right now.
We sat at an outdoor table the other day with a brilliant older queer scientist friend and ran into several scientist friends including one who worked at govt agencies on science funding. It is like having conversations after an apocalypse. So many people lost, labs folded, international postdocs gone, lines of work canned. DEI work going undercover, forbidden words erased
@grimalkina The concept of undercover DEI boggles my mind. Like, what could be harder to hide than visible minorities
“Oh, uh, actually we don’t have that many women and nonwhite folks. Jake, Connor, and Brad are just working from home today”
