Poll: Most doubt US will lead on science, tech in 2020

[ScienceRocks]

Poll: Most doubt US will lead on science, tech in 2020

By Elise Viebeck - 09/20/12 03:26 PM ET

A majority of likely voters doubt the United States will lead the world in science and technology in eight years, according to a poll released Thursday.

Fifty-nine percent gave the name of another country, such as India or China, or said they were "not sure" when asked who would lead the world in science and technology in 2020, according to JZ Analytics.

The survey was sponsored by United for Medical Research and Research!America, and sought to highlight public support for federal research funding.

But it also uncovered a sense of apprehension among likely voters about where the United States will stand relative to its global competitors in the coming decades.

One-quarter of likely voters said that China will take the No. 1 position with regard to science and technology, the poll found.

Public research funding has come under scrutiny as Republicans in Congress seek to reduce the budget deficit.

The "sequester" — automatic spending cuts set to take effect in January — will hit research investments at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) unless lawmakers stop it.

Research!America CEO Mary Woolley said that across-the-board cuts to medical research will have unintended consequences for millions of patients.

"Our polling shows that likely voters are fully aware of the fiscal challenges facing the nation, but feel strongly that funding for medical research should be a priority for candidates and elected officials," Woolley said in a statement.

Just over half of likely voters said that across-the-board cuts such as the sequester are not the right way to reduce the deficit, the poll found. Forty-nine percent said that the United States should not scale back its funding for medical research.

In total, the sequester would reduce budgets at federal health agencies by $3.6 billion, according to a May report from Research!America.

At the NIH specifically, the mandated 7.8 percent cut would be equal to the total amount spent researching "hundreds of rare and common diseases and conditions" in 2011, the report stated.

The sequester is a product of the Budget Control Act of July 2011, which was meant to force lawmakers to agree on a major deficit reduction plan.
Poll: Most doubt US will lead on science, tech in 2020 - The Hill's Healthwatch

I'd support the compete pull out of our military out of the middle east to keep our number one position. I'd rather have a super advance military here at home than the current mess in the middle east.

 

[HUGGY]

Poll: Most doubt US will lead on science, tech in 2020

By Elise Viebeck - 09/20/12 03:26 PM ET

A majority of likely voters doubt the United States will lead the world in science and technology in eight years, according to a poll released Thursday.

Fifty-nine percent gave the name of another country, such as India or China, or said they were "not sure" when asked who would lead the world in science and technology in 2020, according to JZ Analytics.

The survey was sponsored by United for Medical Research and Research!America, and sought to highlight public support for federal research funding.

But it also uncovered a sense of apprehension among likely voters about where the United States will stand relative to its global competitors in the coming decades.

One-quarter of likely voters said that China will take the No. 1 position with regard to science and technology, the poll found.

Public research funding has come under scrutiny as Republicans in Congress seek to reduce the budget deficit.

The "sequester" — automatic spending cuts set to take effect in January — will hit research investments at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) unless lawmakers stop it.

Research!America CEO Mary Woolley said that across-the-board cuts to medical research will have unintended consequences for millions of patients.

"Our polling shows that likely voters are fully aware of the fiscal challenges facing the nation, but feel strongly that funding for medical research should be a priority for candidates and elected officials," Woolley said in a statement.

Just over half of likely voters said that across-the-board cuts such as the sequester are not the right way to reduce the deficit, the poll found. Forty-nine percent said that the United States should not scale back its funding for medical research.

In total, the sequester would reduce budgets at federal health agencies by $3.6 billion, according to a May report from Research!America.

At the NIH specifically, the mandated 7.8 percent cut would be equal to the total amount spent researching "hundreds of rare and common diseases and conditions" in 2011, the report stated.

The sequester is a product of the Budget Control Act of July 2011, which was meant to force lawmakers to agree on a major deficit reduction plan.
Poll: Most doubt US will lead on science, tech in 2020 - The Hill's Healthwatch

I'd support the compete pull out of our military out of the middle east to keep our number one position. I'd rather have a super advance military here at home than the current mess in the middle east.

What percentage of likely voters would know enough about science and technology to make that prediction?

Why do you post this nonsense?

 

[RoadVirus]

A majority of likely voters doubt the United States will lead the world in science and technology in eight years, according to a poll released Thursday.

It all depends on who our president is.

 

[NATURALSELECTOR]

Sad report

 

[flacaltenn]

If we DON'T lead in science/Tech in 2020, our kids will shopping at the dump and not even WalMart..

I was cheering Obama for about 12 seconds when he got honest about "some jobs not coming back" during the last debate. He started to talk about what ACTUALLY NEEDED to be done to bring jobs back and protect a middle class wage..

But then (like you my pal Matthew) he immediately LAUNCHED INTO what the FEDS needed to do to accomplish these goals.. As tho 200Mill American workers are just sitting around eating Cheetos waiting on him to "train the engineers we need" or "create the tools neccessary for MODERN manufacturing"...

That part is complete horseshit.. And anyone following along on why the economy is contracting knows that.

We BETTER get our act together and do the HARD JOBS that the rest of the world just can't do.. Because we don't have the leisure of BLOWING our lead in science/tech.. Not even for one political regime fixated on anti-consumption, anti-growth policies DICTATED by Central Planning offices...

 

[HUGGY]

I wonder what scientific discoveries "most" people have come up with?

 

[Rozman]

We are where we should be.
Seems we have people who are more interested
in being involved in flash mobs and gang violence
instead of studying..

Well why should they.
All they need is to make it to adulthood and vote Democrat.
They know they will be taken care of.

 

[flacaltenn]

I wonder what scientific discoveries "most" people have come up with?

Most people don't make presentations at scientific or industrial conferences.. But EVERYONE depends on America remaining a fertile ground for innovation and entreprenuership.. We don't need EVERYONE to be a trained physicist, MBA or engineer, but those are the PREREQUISITES for stimulating an economy that HAS TO differentiate itself from a countries that currently thrive on "cheap labor".. Even in those exploding Asian economies, they know that "cheap labor" will not last. Stuff will get built soon without armies of factory workers.

The ugly truth is pal --- sweat equity jobs are gonna be harder to find. And we can't all "service" each other to death.. The economy is GLOBAL, and MORE folks have to step up their game. The definition of a job used to be more dependent on OTHER FOLKS whims. Today -- you can be a journalist or composer or product designer in your basement. The folks who just want to work 9 to 5, pick up the paycheck and tune out are not gonna have a lot of Help Wanted ads to read.

A much broader skill set is gonna be required. Doesn't mean you need 5 or 8 years of college, but it DOES mean more flexibility and adaptability and an economic/political environment that ENCOURAGES creation of companies with new ideas and products. So that the OLD Lethargic Mega Multi-Nationals have to worry about competition and serving the actual needs of the market.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Obama has been VERY ANTI-Science and Technology outside of green. This is a fact.

He has been a disaster within military tech and space.

 

[VoteForTheDucks]

The truth is that American education and though still gives us the creativity we need to have science advancements. Sure, other countries might score higher than us and have a slightly better technical understanding of science, but they are training their students to be engineers, not scientist. People who can use technology, but will not be pushing the forefront of science.

 

[uscitizen]

We are a nation of consumers not producers.

 

[flacaltenn]

The truth is that American education and though still gives us the creativity we need to have science advancements. Sure, other countries might score higher than us and have a slightly better technical understanding of science, but they are training their students to be engineers, not scientist. People who can use technology, but will not be pushing the forefront of science.

Our science/math/engineering GRAD schools are largely filled with foreign students. That's a HUGE problem.. So huge that Romney wants to offer each of them a green card.

Our kids all want to be "environmental" engineers or MBAs because we've largely given up on motivating K-12 for the technical/science slots.

And nowadays, there is little boundary between the innovation potential of engineering and straight up science.