Land Of Big Science

There is no doubt that the United States is in decline in science due to a confluence of social, political and religious phenomena. There are many citizens and politicians on the political left that have a deep distrust of science and what it has brought to world. Nuclear weapons, nuclear power, space exploration, environmental impact of industry using technology they don???t understand has lead to this distrust. They turn to a mythical ???good old days??? of low tech, sustainable and recycling, and environmental spiritualism. Those on the right with fundamentalist religious belief see science as the greatest threat to the existence of God and their life structure. If the scientific cosmology and time frame of existence is correct than the Bible is in total error and that destroys their world view. They want a ???return??? to the ???old time religion??? of unquestioning faith in their mythology of a supernatural, superhuman male figure that gives their life???s a purpose to exist in what they perceive as a very frightening, demon filled world.

With these forces in play, and politicians willing to take advantage of them, scientific research and development is dying in the United States. Young scientists should now seek work where science and reason still have social value such as Europe, the Far East, and India. Let America get what it truly deserves: a chapter in history of its rise and fall and let future generations marvel at the stupidity.

There is no doubt that the United States is in decline in science due to a confluence of social, political and religious phenomena. There are many citizens and politicians on the political left that have a deep distrust of science and what it has brought to world. Nuclear weapons, nuclear power, space exploration, environmental impact of industry using technology they don???t understand has lead to this distrust. They turn to a mythical ???good old days??? of low tech, sustainable and recycling, and environmental spiritualism. Those on the right with fundamentalist religious belief see science as the greatest threat to the existence of God and their life structure. If the scientific cosmology and time frame of existence is correct than the Bible is in total error and that destroys their world view. They want a ???return??? to the ???old time religion??? of unquestioning faith in their mythology of a supernatural, superhuman male figure that gives their life???s a purpose to exist in what they perceive as a very frightening, demon filled world.

With these forces in play, and politicians willing to take advantage of them, scientific research and development is dying in the United States. Young scientists should now seek work where science and reason still have social value such as Europe, the Far East, and India. Let America get what it truly deserves: a chapter in history of its rise and fall and let future generations marvel at the stupidity.

A few points. The United States does not have to lead the world in every single category all the time. The Europeans are our friends. They are as rich as we are and we can assume a modest investment will yield technological benefits for this country as well as for the other participating countries. Rarefied scientific efforts are all well and good. However, applied physics - that is work that can actually benefit human beings, animals and the environment are much more important at this juncture in history. So, if we are looking to "invest," solar, wind and battery technology are must more crucial to our societies than the collider right now. And, without making this partisan in the least, because I agree it's time to stop bickering and start focusing, if we can afford $10 billion a month for the Iraq war, we can afford a one-time shot of 12 or15 billion for a collider, or other Big Science project. But not every project is necessary or practical. and honestly, we need to get out of the mindset that we the people of the United States ought to be doing everything, everywhere, every time.

Europe is not winning over America. It may be winning over the United States. Stop being so arrogant and ignorant.

I find it interesting that the physicist who had difficulty finding a suitable job also has difficulty putting coherent sentences together. Perhaps he should put his mind to that task and he'll enjoy more success. I also find it interesting that our own super collider efforts were shut down by a Democratic Congress under a Democratic administration.

No it's actually a 6.25% contribution. Wow you're reading this article and can't even do that 2nd grade math.
Anyway...I am currently a senior in High School and am about 90% sure (that's pretty certain for those of us who aren't proficient in percentages) that I am going to pursue Physics as a career. There are very few opportunities in America, granted, but I would be quite content with working at FERMI Lab in Chicago. To say that I would be happy with that would be incorrect, however. I would *much* rather work at CERN and I only wish I were born a few years earlier so that I could work there for the opening in a few days.
It is interesting to see how America is truly declining in the way of Physics. Especially from my limited world, I personally know no one who is even remotely interested in studying Physics at the University level, much less someone who would want to make a career out of it. At my high school, there is only one Physics teacher, whereas there are at least two of every other major science. Also, there are two different college-level classes nationally recognized in Physics-AP Physics B and AP Physics C (don't ask me about the nomenclature; I have no idea where "A" went!). Naturally, my love of Physics would lead me to the harder course, but, alas, my school does not offer it! Therefore, instead of MIT or CalTech seeing on my resume when I apply that I was a dedicated Physics student, they will see a simple class being taken. That is why I chose to study independently for one month straight and take the Calculus-based C test, and all this with a teacher who literally taught nothing more than that an inclined plane is a simple machine and gravity is a force. We learned so little because he gave us the test a week beforehand, making it unnecessary to study at all. Anyway, this simply shows how I have not seen any interest in Physics in America in my personal world in my lifetime. Has anyone reading this? Do any of you or anyone you care desire a job in Physics, or should I simply raise my child(ren) in Switzerland?
I apologize for the novel!

Isn't a $500 million contribution to the $8 billion project a 15% contribution???

Research funding in the US is almost a zero-sum game. In the early 90's many scientists felt Congress was reducing the funding for pure and applied academic research to pay for the Superconducting Supercollider. Consequently, the project had few friends outside of the Physics community.

Research funding in the US is almost a zero-sum game. In the early 90's many scientists felt Congress was reducing the funding for pure and applied academic research to pay for the Superconducting Supercollider. Consequently, the project had few friends outside of the Physics community.

I don't know the science like the geniuses that made this machine: however, that does not mean I cannot pray that these scientists don't start a fire they can't put out. -Daryl Atamanyk

I find all of this rather sad. that a board about science has become a political battleground where people can not just openly accept another's view or take of their thoughts and then respectfully agree or disagree. The need for derogatory statements like mocking higher education or degrading another party/theory/idea. This article does have international implications and rightly holds a place in the global affairs category, yet why are politics for the upcoming election in here? I have taken a few glances at this article over the coarse of the day and have seen mostly "McCain this, and Obama that". Stick to what the facts presented along with the opinion of the Author and Editor. Even varying off topic a minute amount would be acceptable. Once you start listing all the facts on Genocide that you happen to know, thats just a little bit absurd. I'm only 17 years old, yet I feel as though my level of maturity surpasses all of those involved in politics. The mudslinging is childish and in the long run, doesn't allow the voter to make a well educated decision based upon their values and beliefs. It makes me think of how my younger siblings run around and tell on each other and the one who was told on tries to drag the other down with them.
The whole purpose of this article was to express facts, proven by statistics, and discretely intertwine an opinion into the story. Keep to the facts, cut the political junk.

~Brandon

One could argue that the "war on terror" and "war on Saddam" would have been more successful with international cooperation and then I mean more than the "coalition of the (forced and enticed to be) willing"

Someone wrote ???It is quite simple...the USA is fast becoming a spectator to the advancements around the globe (Europe and Asia)...so go on, keep clinging to guns and (false) religion...that's pretty much all that you will have left when it's all said and done.???
My response. Clinging onto liberalism isn't going to make this country any stronger and even if Obama becomes president, he would not be able to make America stronger than Europe and Asia. Every superpower rises and falls and it isn't any different with America. Obama wouldn't be able to stop it. That???s the nature of history. The 1 trillion dollars spent on the war only amounts to 1% of the GDP and economics mostly agree that that is insignificant in impacting our large economy negatively. Surprisingly, the 1 trillion dollars spent has actually created thousands of jobs for people in the defense industry which then trickles down to other non-defense industries. So the money spent has actually helped our economy.??? Iraqis need our help. We can't abandon them. Bush is a hero to Iraqis and especially the Kurds in Northern Iraq. You wouldn't know it because your readings have been limited to the liberal dominated media.

Someone wrote the following... "Pam Tom..just curious, but do you have a formal higher-level education? I ask this because your overall reasoning and sense of logic / interpretation of fact, is quite frankly, disturbing. But, hey that's America I suppose! A place where senile people can become leaders and then lead other "blind" individuals in a chorus-line of fools."

To answer this comment, it is quiet common for liberals and Democrats to use derogatory words to demean opponents when they don't have any real arguments to defend their bias position. Examples of demeaning words???.. Let???s see??? Hmmm, lack of ???formal higher-level education,??? lack of ???overall reasoning,??? lack of ???sense of logic,??? lack of ???interpretation of fact,??? ???blind,??? and ???fools.???
You speak of genocide...care to mention 5 relatively recent (historical) incidents of genocide? Here...Congo Free State, Armenia (two genocides), Bosnia, Cambodia, Darfur (ongoing), East Timor...etc...etc...and do you care to ask what the USA did about those?
What does the genocide in these countries have to do with the issue we were talking about? You attempt to digress from the topic is an attempt to label all conservatives as stupid and dumb in foreign affairs. We're talking about Iraq.

Just to please your condescending and prideful attitude and pseudo intellectual mind???
Darfur ??? A war between Muslims and Blacks.
Bosnia - It was an age old war between the Muslims and non-Muslims. The Balkins have always been the powder keg of Europe. Has nothing to do with Iraq.
Cambodia - Genocide due to a Communist government under Pol Pot. Probably a favorite of yours since Communist are atheist and you profess to hate religion. Not an American generated genocide. Has nothing to do with Iraq.
East Timor - A war between Muslims and Christians. Has nothing to do with the war on Iraq.

Comment: Pam Tom...just curious, but do you have a formal higher-level education? I ask this because your overall reasoning and sense of logic / interpretation of fact, is quite frankly, disturbing. But, hey that's America I suppose! A place where senile people can become leaders and then lead other "blind" individuals in a chorus-line of fools.

To answer this comment, it is quiet common for liberals and Democrats to use derogatory words to demean opponents when they don't have any real arguments to defend their bias position. The above is just an example of liberal talk - name calling.

We need a war on hurricanes,
Brian Sandler brian334@peoplepc.com

I recently received a patent on a machine designed to destroy hurricanes.
At my website http://bsandler.com there is a complete description of the machine.
Please contact me at the above address if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Brian Sandler