I've never understood people that don't support funding science as much as possible.

[Confounding]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Why has the left taken such a strong stand against science?

 

[flacaltenn]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

 

[Confounding]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

You raise some fair points. A lot of what you said seems like a reason for why positions in government should be more merit based. You know, science stuff run by scientists instead of politicians. There has to be ways to make the government less useless. I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

 

[flacaltenn]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

You raise some fair points. A lot of what you said seems like a reason for why positions in government should be more merit based. You know, science stuff run by scientists instead of politicians. There has to be ways to make the government less useless. I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

The way to make the govt less useless is to REMIND them what their priorities are supposed. Like immigration and fair elections for instance. And not allowing the NSA Big Brother Domestic Spy Machine to be hijacked for ANYTHING other than the terrorist threat is was designed to sleuth out.

I've got no problem with FOCUSED STRATEGIC govt investment. Or with NIH or CDC or folks who ARE directing the science. Loved the moon missions. Worked on the Shuttle program briefly. But even there in the space program -- it was Private Industry that got men into space, not NASA. NASA counted the beans. And cut the salaries of every body working around at Cape Kennedy with their "lowest bidder" crap.

Let's stop shotgunning money out to anyone that writes a proposal that matches some "hot item list". And PICK some missions. Like cleaning up the oceans, or adapting the latest tech to limb replacements instead. And do 6 of these per year. And SHOW the results of the six that started 2 or 4 years to the public.

 

[Confounding]

PICK some missions. Like cleaning up the oceans, or adapting the latest tech to limb replacements instead. And do 6 of these per year. And SHOW the results of the six that started 2 or 4 years to the public.

How do we make that happen? Who is standing in the way?

 

[flacaltenn]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

You raise some fair points. A lot of what you said seems like a reason for why positions in government should be more merit based. You know, science stuff run by scientists instead of politicians. There has to be ways to make the government less useless. I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

The way to make the govt less useless is to REMIND them what their priorities are supposed. Like immigration and fair elections for instance. And not allowing the NSA Big Brother Domestic Spy Machine to be hijacked for ANYTHING other than the terrorist threat is was designed to sleuth out.

I've got no problem with FOCUSED STRATEGIC govt investment. Or with NIH or CDC or folks who ARE directing the science. Loved the moon missions. Worked on the Shuttle program briefly. But even there in the space program -- it was Private Industry that got men into space, not NASA. NASA counted the beans. And cut the salaries of every body working around at Cape Kennedy with their "lowest bidder" crap.

Let's stop shotgunning money out to anyone that writes a proposal that matches some "hot item list". And PICK some missions. Like cleaning up the oceans, or adapting the latest tech to limb replacements instead. And do 6 of these per year. And SHOW the results of the six that started 2 or 4 years to the public.

How do we make that happen? Who is standing in the way?

Need to restrict what Congress can interfere with. Get them to focus. They fail at oversight, They fail at fiscal responsibility. They even don't WRITE law anymore. They write fill - in - the -blank bills and let the AGENCIES make the details of the law. 535 folks CANNOT be qualified to do what they CLAIM they can do.

Need to "drain the swamp". Dont LET congress hand out goodies they shouldn't. Most of the lobbying done in Congress by industry and professional orgs is DEFENSIVE. They are there to make sure Congress isn't favoring their COMPETITION. They HAVE to be there and kick in money to the Congress Critters.

It's actually pretty hopeless.

 

[Confounding]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

You raise some fair points. A lot of what you said seems like a reason for why positions in government should be more merit based. You know, science stuff run by scientists instead of politicians. There has to be ways to make the government less useless. I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

The way to make the govt less useless is to REMIND them what their priorities are supposed. Like immigration and fair elections for instance. And not allowing the NSA Big Brother Domestic Spy Machine to be hijacked for ANYTHING other than the terrorist threat is was designed to sleuth out.

I've got no problem with FOCUSED STRATEGIC govt investment. Or with NIH or CDC or folks who ARE directing the science. Loved the moon missions. Worked on the Shuttle program briefly. But even there in the space program -- it was Private Industry that got men into space, not NASA. NASA counted the beans. And cut the salaries of every body working around at Cape Kennedy with their "lowest bidder" crap.

Let's stop shotgunning money out to anyone that writes a proposal that matches some "hot item list". And PICK some missions. Like cleaning up the oceans, or adapting the latest tech to limb replacements instead. And do 6 of these per year. And SHOW the results of the six that started 2 or 4 years to the public.

How do we make that happen? Who is standing in the way?

Need to restrict what Congress can interfere with. Get them to focus. They fail at oversight, They fail at fiscal responsibility. They even don't WRITE law anymore. They write fill - in - the -blank bills and let the AGENCIES make the details of the law. 535 folks CANNOT be qualified to do what they CLAIM they can do.

Need to "drain the swamp". Dont LET congress hand out goodies they shouldn't. Most of the lobbying done in Congress by industry and professional orgs is DEFENSIVE. They are there to make sure Congress isn't favoring their COMPETITION. They HAVE to be there and kick in money to the Congress Critters.

Do you think getting some of the money out of politics would help with that mess? How do you feel about publicly funded elections and efforts to stop what is essentially legal political bribery? I think lobbyists are Satan in human form. What could possibly be done about them?

If we can go to pretend land for a minute, where you have the power to shape government however you want, what steps would you take to go from where we are to where we need to be?

 

[Mac1958]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

We can look across the board and see examples of how our priorities have become warped and perverted. That's one of the outcomes of an environment in which everyone is screaming and no one is listening, and in which honest critical thinking gives way to short-term thinking and shallow narcissism. What would we expect?
.

 

[Confounding]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

We can look across the board and see examples of how our priorities have become warped and perverted. That's one of the outcomes of an environment in which everyone is screaming and no one is listening, and in which honest critical thinking gives way to short-term thinking and shallow narcissism. What would we expect?
.

Surely humanity will outgrow its ignorance, right?

 

[Old Rocks]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

That's not counting GOVT research at it's OWN labs.Adds AT LEAST another $20Billion to the number.

And govt is lousy judge of PRIORITIZING science for the national welfare. It sways with the breezes of the political demands and priorities. NOT the priorities of INDUSTRY who actually USE the science to make the world a better place.

Govt priorities on R&D is what KILLED most environmental causes for over 2 decades by BURYING important causes under the giant mountain of exaggeration of Global Warming. Caused things like ocean and nuclear waste dumps on Govt land to go COMPLETELY silent.

I'm all for science funding and industry ALSO spends MAJOR bucks at every US University in the country and at their OWN labs. THAT payout is more efficient and immediate than most all of what govt funds. I spent 5 years soliciting govt funding for science. The folks you pitch to have little clue of the importance of your work or how it fits into the BIGGER picture of other work in your field. They have a CHECKLIST of "hot topics" that will impress Congress and get them a bigger budget next year -- because impressing Congress and the current Prez is how the money is spent. Has nothing to do with "strategic management" of GETTING good science.

You raise some fair points. A lot of what you said seems like a reason for why positions in government should be more merit based. You know, science stuff run by scientists instead of politicians. There has to be ways to make the government less useless. I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

There is an organization, 314, that I support on a monthly basis for getting more scientists into government. In that way, we can get more informed decisions on what research is most vital to this nation, and, indeed, the whole world.

Research concerning the rate and impacts of global warming, and the resultant climate change is vital. We have put enough GHGs into the atmosphere that we are now seeing the results on a global scale. We need to understand where these impacts will be greatest, and what we can do to lesson the impacts of the changes. Failure to do so will cost us dearly.

 

[Mac1958]

The comfort of humanity is linked to its understanding of science. Everything you have was made possible by scientific discovery. There isn't a more worthwhile investment we can make. Why in the FUCK is everybody not on board with unlocking these secrets as quickly as possible by funding science as much as possible? I know it's impossible, but sometimes I like to toy with the idea of what humanity could accomplish if it stopped trying to kill itself and focused all of that money and energy into science instead.

If you're an opponent of science you are an opponent of human progress. Nothing is more offensive to me than people that stand in the way of scientific discovery.

Look at this...

Science - 30.7 billion

Did you know we give away more money than that every year?

We can look across the board and see examples of how our priorities have become warped and perverted. That's one of the outcomes of an environment in which everyone is screaming and no one is listening, and in which honest critical thinking gives way to short-term thinking and shallow narcissism. What would we expect?
.

Surely humanity will outgrow its ignorance, right?

Here's hoping.
.