Astronomy Portfolio Review Recommends Defunding US's Biggest Telescope 192
derekmead writes "Data from the enormous Green Bank Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory has been used to test some of Einstein's theories, discover new molecules in space, and find evidence of the building blocks of life and of the origins of galaxies. With 6,600 hours of observation time a year, the GBT produces massive amounts of data on the makeup of space, and any researchers with reason to use the data are welcome to do so. The eleven-year-old GBT stands as one of the crowning achievements of American big science. But with the National Science Foundation strapped for cash like most other science-minded government agencies, the NRAO's funding is threatened. In August of this year, the Astronomy Portfolio Review, a committee appointed by the NSF, recommended that the GBT be defunded over the next five years. Researchers, along with locals and West Virginia congressmen, are fighting the decision, which puts the nearly $100 million telescope at risk. Unless they succeed, America's giant dish will go silent."
Silent? (Score:5, Interesting)
OK, I know I'm being a bit of a pedant ... but it's listening, it's already silent. ;-)
That being said, this sucks ... the amount of actual science we do seem to keep falling. But we've got money to teach Creationism in schools.
Re:Noisy Telescopes (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Good (Score:2, Interesting)
Which is exactly why it's critical that the government fund as much research as possible, because it's not going to happen any other way. Put a 100% tax on every sporting event, movie, concert, and TV advertisment and put all of that towards research. That would get us in the ballpark of funding enough research.