Derek Lowe

Yes. No doubt about it. Yes. And this is just a shame beyond my ability to express because the U.S., I'm not just waving the flag here. The U.S. really has been the world leader in so many areas of basic and applied science for so long that you get to think, well, it's just kind of a law of nature, isn't it? It's always been that way. It always will be. It doesn't have to be. We can screw it up.

We can screw it up forever.

We can screw it up forever.

We can screw it up forever.

Because I don't think that the amount of research is going to be the same if you take the US out of the equation. I don't think the rest of the world can or will suddenly rev up their own research spending to make up for the gap, the huge, huge gap that would be there if you took the U.S. out of the equation. It would be a loss for humanity.

Because I don't think that the amount of research is going to be the same if you take the US out of the equation. I don't think the rest of the world can or will suddenly rev up their own research spending to make up for the gap, the huge, huge gap that would be there if you took the U.S. out of the equation. It would be a loss for humanity.

Because I don't think that the amount of research is going to be the same if you take the US out of the equation. I don't think the rest of the world can or will suddenly rev up their own research spending to make up for the gap, the huge, huge gap that would be there if you took the U.S. out of the equation. It would be a loss for humanity.

I mean, they are a huge bureaucracy. I'm sure there are inefficiencies in there. I'm sure there are things that take longer than they should and could lose an extra layer of review or something like that. There's no doubt. But I think if you just come in and start hacking with a machete, thinking, well, odds are all the stuff I'm cutting away is just junk. That is going to lead to harm.

I mean, they are a huge bureaucracy. I'm sure there are inefficiencies in there. I'm sure there are things that take longer than they should and could lose an extra layer of review or something like that. There's no doubt. But I think if you just come in and start hacking with a machete, thinking, well, odds are all the stuff I'm cutting away is just junk. That is going to lead to harm.

I mean, they are a huge bureaucracy. I'm sure there are inefficiencies in there. I'm sure there are things that take longer than they should and could lose an extra layer of review or something like that. There's no doubt. But I think if you just come in and start hacking with a machete, thinking, well, odds are all the stuff I'm cutting away is just junk. That is going to lead to harm.

So I feel positive that there are ways these agencies could run more efficiently. Problem is that a lot of the people, and not just now, a lot of the people come in talking about, we just want to make things more efficient, actually have other goals in mind.

So I feel positive that there are ways these agencies could run more efficiently. Problem is that a lot of the people, and not just now, a lot of the people come in talking about, we just want to make things more efficient, actually have other goals in mind.

So I feel positive that there are ways these agencies could run more efficiently. Problem is that a lot of the people, and not just now, a lot of the people come in talking about, we just want to make things more efficient, actually have other goals in mind.

Yeah, a lot. Because the way these grants are distributed, you don't always get these things in one big lump sum and go off and work for a few years. A lot of times these things are distributed in portions during the year. There are already people who were expecting to have their grant renewals in the works by now, and it's not. So you had a lot of people

Yeah, a lot. Because the way these grants are distributed, you don't always get these things in one big lump sum and go off and work for a few years. A lot of times these things are distributed in portions during the year. There are already people who were expecting to have their grant renewals in the works by now, and it's not. So you had a lot of people

Yeah, a lot. Because the way these grants are distributed, you don't always get these things in one big lump sum and go off and work for a few years. A lot of times these things are distributed in portions during the year. There are already people who were expecting to have their grant renewals in the works by now, and it's not. So you had a lot of people

doing research funded by these things who are like, how am I going to order supplies? How am I going to pay my graduate students on stipends or my postdoctoral people? What's going to happen to me? It's not like they're getting paid a hell of a lot of money to start with. They are going to have trouble making rent. So how long can you go on like that before you say, I can't. To hell with it.

doing research funded by these things who are like, how am I going to order supplies? How am I going to pay my graduate students on stipends or my postdoctoral people? What's going to happen to me? It's not like they're getting paid a hell of a lot of money to start with. They are going to have trouble making rent. So how long can you go on like that before you say, I can't. To hell with it.

doing research funded by these things who are like, how am I going to order supplies? How am I going to pay my graduate students on stipends or my postdoctoral people? What's going to happen to me? It's not like they're getting paid a hell of a lot of money to start with. They are going to have trouble making rent. So how long can you go on like that before you say, I can't. To hell with it.

I've got to go find a job somewhere. I hope I can find a job in industry, but if not, I'm going to find a job at the used car lot. I've got to survive. So you lose a lot of people like that. And getting the band back together after an event like that is not going to be so easy. If this goes on, the damage is going to be tremendous.