Federal mission agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionDepartment of EnergyEnvironmental Protection AgencyNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationU.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Geological Survey, play different but equally important roles. They conduct and support science that informs decisions affecting public health, environmental protection, energy security, economic development and public safety. Many of these activities generate public benefits that market forces alone are unlikely to adequately provide.

Scientific leadership depends on people, institutions, infrastructure and knowledge. These assets accumulate slowly over decades but can be weakened surprisingly quickly.

The current debate is not merely theoretical. Funding reductionsworkforce losses and disruptions affecting universities and federal agencies are already reshaping parts of the American research enterprise.

    • Zephorah@discuss.online
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      4 days ago

      China is old. Really old. They’ve been around. 250 years is nothing.

      We had a good run because we were based on freedom and so many other ideals. That document, the constitution, is a fascinating read, and kinda awesome such that it was inspirational, globally.

      It only took about 200 yrs for that idealism to die. About 50 yrs for the fullness of the corruption to leech in and destroy it.

      Meanwhile, China keeps moving on.

      • snoons@lemmy.ca
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        4 days ago

        We had a good run because we were based on freedom and so many other ideals.*

        *Terms and conditions may apply.

        • Zephorah@discuss.online
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          3 days ago

          Oh yeah. As a woman I cringe at the 1950s legally enforced housewifery/entrapment in favor of lesser men in the workplace. GI Bill, great in theory, created a generation of mean or “thin” moms and grandmas who couldn’t achieve the financial freedom to simply leave. Among other bullshit for other groups.

          The idea though, it galvanized people to seek the better, here and elsewhere.

      • CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de
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        3 days ago

        The USA has the world’s oldest written constitution and is the third oldest government in the world. China is a relatively young country.

      • BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        4 days ago

        China as a country has existed longer but it has a history of being divided among feudal states does it not in its history? When did full China unification actually happen?

        • Zephorah@discuss.online
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          It’s not about unification, it’s an ethos of long history. They continue. I can’t imagine that long history doesn’t add a forceful momentum to the idea: our turn.

          • BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            3 days ago

            Yeah, I think through thick and thin in their history they still considered themselves Chinese ultimately. As well Eastern philosophies and ethics are different from Western philosophies and ethics. Not that there’s anything wrong but a different world viewpoint and probably how they see themselves in it.

  • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    Finally BIG SCIENCE can no longer force us to ignore McGillicuddy’s tonic, the balsam specific or my patent-pending galvanic belt. We can go back to when America was great and we ate crackers designed to discourage masturbation.

  • Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    Uh, wasn’t the previous “golden age of science” because of some immigrants that showed up in the 1940s?

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      Nature does not know extinction; all it knows is transformation. Everything science has taught me, and continues to teach me, strengthens my belief in the continuity of our spiritual existence after death.

      -Wernher Von Braun

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    “Golden Age of Science”

    Means they start with the conclusion they want and make the data fit. Golden age of everything agreeing with them.

  • mojo_raisin@lemmy.world
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    Things like this make much more sense when you realize right wingers have a different definition of truth than you do.

    Truth: statements describing observations of shared experience. (I know there are more complex definitions, but this is sufficient for my point.)

    Truth (right-wing): statements describing observations of shared experience that do not contradict claims made by the upper-echelon of their in-group (e.g. MAGA).

    So what they mean by a golden age, is an age where the info these agencies distribute is completely controlled by them and is useful to their ends (i.e. domination).

  • BeBopALouie@lemmy.ca
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    4 days ago

    Golden age my ass. As long as these brain dead numpties stay in charge america will continue to become a joke of a nation full of ignorance and vitriol at a faster rate than what was happening.

    It’s happening a ton now that all the mainstream media is owned by the billionaires and they make sure that you only (edit see what they want seen). Your average American doesn’t even know 10% of what’s really going on unless they go out to other news outside the us that’s not run by the billionaires.

  • Zephorah@discuss.online
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    What a sack of idiots.

    They undermine science with words. The entire funded push with the anti vaccine movement was to create doubt regarding a well established bit of science. A pivot point. Climate change. Suddenly scientists either don’t know what they’re talking about or, and this is my favorite, are paid off by “big wind” or “big solar” (a common argument among repubs going back 2 decades…I think Limbaugh started it.)

    Republicans disparage teachers, working to undermine basic education for decades. Some states now teach Bible as scientific truth instead of science.

    Then, they get into office this andmin and terrorize colleges, defunding those who won’t toady up regarding politics and fake science.

    Then they harass and threaten scientists who are not born here at the border. Those scientists then flee, they do have other options across the globe, and never return. New scientist prospects take a fuck that approach to the notion of coming here. Given how politically biased the admin wants their idea of science, how much fake science they want, who would, even without the immigration thing?

    Meanwhile, home grown scientists are in short supply due to education costs alongside the un affordability of everything else. Given the fuckery regarding student loans across the last decade, few are going to do that either. Even then, why would those scientists stay here?

    Add in a dumb ass billionaire clicking “end” on a bunch of science based programs because he didn’t understand them. Enter screwworm, to name the most publicized fallout item.

    And now the maga admin thinks it can have science in this environment? Even more delusional, they think they can have a golden age of science?

    Clearly we’ve failed hard on education.

  • bagsy@lemmy.world
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    Again, for the 10,000th time. Everything they say is a lie. This is another scheme to either harm the US or enrich one of the inner circle.

  • tangeli@piefed.social
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    A ‘golden age’ sounds good. Imagine how nice the White House would look if the outside was all gilded in 24 karat gold - shiny! The lights would really sparkle!

    And if all else fails, 100% tariffs on an any country that dares to do competing research, with escalation to kidnapping or killing their leaders or bombing them if they don’t slow down quickly enough. That should bring the US back to the fore.

    Also: elections! What a total waste of time and money. President for life and the president appoints everyone else. Then the research could really get moving!

  • supersquirrel@sopuli.xyzOP
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    At the same time, the report arrives after a series of Trump administration policy actions that have already begun reshaping universities, federal agencies and federal research funding. The debate is therefore not simply about a future vision. It is also about how current policy changes may reshape the American research enterprise for decades to come.

    clicks link

    How is this not just a slap in the face to the reader?

    • mycodesucks@lemmy.world
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      Don’t worry… The “alternative facts” are completely free because they’re funded by think tanks and billionaires. And there’re no negative consequences whatsoever.

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    We must change everything we’ve been doing the past 80 years to be far and away #1 in the world if we want to continue to be #1 in the world. Trust me, bro, I’m a political hack.

    It sure is neat watching the USA destroy every advantage it has to boost short term profits for a select few.

  • realitista@lemmus.org
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    Trump is the guy to bring a “golden age of science” like Elon Musk is the guy to bring a “golden age of financial equality”