Scientists Stage Funerals To Protest Against Cuts — a New Trend?

ananyo writes "Physicists, chemists and mathematicians in the UK are campaigning against their chief public funder (EPSRC) over reforms that they say threaten blue-skies research, kicking off their protest by toting a coffin to the Prime Minister in Downing Street. The reforms are a response to declining budgets and political pressure to focus science on areas that will produce economic benefits for the UK. Last month, over 2000 Canadian scientists marched to Parliament Hill with a coffin to protest against the Harper government's cuts to basic research and scientific facilities, which they believe undermine the quality of scientific evidence in government. With budget cuts to science expected in the U.S., is it time for scientists in U.S. — and perhaps elsewhere — to think about getting their retaliation in first and ready their coffins?"

Re:How about the USA?

[SirSlud]

RTFA much? The coffin is not a mock funeral for the respective prime ministers, but rather for the 'death of science'.

Re:Death of evidence

[Hatta]

There's an economic downturn. The government is having trouble funding programs. And the fact that they want to cut spending to a program that doesn't have immediate and clearly predictable economic benefit is because they're anti-intellectual?

Basic research provides the greatest ROI of any sort of investment anywhere ever. On top of that, government spending helps to stimulate economies. Creating solid middle class jobs filled by smart, motivated people is exactly the kind of thing that you want to do to get out of a recession.

Re:Because these scientists are Special

[jpate]

(shrug). Can YOU cite a single example where teachers or military or old people or students or some other group said, "Yeah we're okay if you cut our budget 10%." It doesn't exist.

well [lmgtfy.com], yeah [lmgtfy.com].

Re:Who cares?

[deapbluesea]

Yeah, people like DeltaHawk who spent 20 years building a diesel aircraft engine in order to reduce fuel consumption and lead particulate without ever making a single sale sure are short sighted SOBs. Or perhaps you're thinking of those shortsighted morons in the Innovation 1000 study [booz.com] who spent $550B on R&D in 2010. Thank goodness we have /. to put a lid on hyperbole.