Back to blogging

We’ve got an interesting discussion going on regarding the decline effect here. David Cooper, one of my former doctoral students, has an interesting viewpoint.

In the meantime, Obama’s wrap up of his successes during the Lame Duck session of Congress curiously didn’t include mention of the COMPETE Act. ScienceInsider takes note here. I think this is probably significant for the science community and we should watch carefully in January as the new Congress gets itself bootstrapped.

The Blizzard missed Washington DC entirely I’m pleased to report. My sympathies to our neighbors in New York and Boston (to say nothing of Philly).

Lame Duck Congress Science Action

From ScienceInsider here. The article correctly raises the point of how relevant the America COMPETES act will be since it doesn’t actually appropriate any monies. In the meantime we read of draconian cuts in the UK science budget–foreshadowing the future here in the US?

I think the real issue in terms of science funding is whether we view it as a national security investment (I do) or whether we view it as a budget-buster. The key argument to make to the incoming Congress is that national security investments into science can help the economy, create jobs and enhance our national security and that the real issue with regards to deficits is entitlement reform.