Plain English with Derek Thompson

Megapod: The Crisis in American Science

308 snips
May 2, 2025
Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of Science, discusses the alarming cuts to funding at NIH and NSF that are crippling American science. Bhaven Sampat, a historian at Arizona State University, sheds light on the historical context of these reductions. Pierre Azoulay from MIT emphasizes the urgent need for reform to revitalize the American scientific ecosystem. The trio delves into the impact of political decisions on research productivity, the importance of federal support, and innovative funding models that could drive America back to the forefront of global research.
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INSIGHT

Importance of NIH Funding

  • The NIH is foundational to nearly every major biomedical discovery of the last 80 years.\n- Cutting its funding risks halving the scientific funding pipeline and losing massive economic and health progress.
INSIGHT

Unique US Science Model

  • The U.S. system funds science through independent professors at universities, fostering free inquiry.\n- This approach led to global influence by training scientists worldwide and spurred vast scientific progress.
INSIGHT

Economic Magic of Basic Research

  • Every dollar spent on research generates about five dollars in economic growth through follow-up research and industry development.\n- Impact varies since some research leads to massive breakthroughs while others yield no return.
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