Say Goodbye to U.S. Particle Physics
By Daniel Miessler on December 19th, 2007: Tagged as Physics | Politics | Science
This is sickening. Fermilab, The United States’ main particle physics lab, is being hamstrung by congress’s latest omnibus bill. This is the same bill that approves billions for the war in Iraq but will result in hundreds at the lab being laid off permanently and countless others having to take extended time without work.
The bill reduces Fermilab’s budget by $62 million dollars in 2008, which is roughly 17% of the $372 million they expected. Oh, and that $372M, which is what their total yearly budget was *going* to be, is less than what it costs to stay in Iraq for a single day.
The cuts are going to halt research and development for the new International Linear Collider — a proposed multibillion-dollar facility that Fermilab hoped would secure the lab’s future and allow it, i.e. the United States, to compete with Europe’s CERN project.
But no. Instead we’re going to pull money from crucial scientific R&D programs, causing us to become an absolute non-force in the particle physics world. All for the war in Iraq. If this bothers you as much it does me, please make your voice heard by writing your congressional representative.
Here’s what I’m sending:
Dear$representative,
I am quite disappointed to hear that congress allowed the recent omnibus bill to pass with huge cuts to Fermilabs’ particle physics programs. The bill cuts their budget by nearly 17% and will result in the halting of our country’s premier effort to stay competitive with other countries in this important field.
What disturbs me most is the fact that the same bill authorizes billions of dollars for the war in Iraq, which in a single day pulls more money from the United States than an entire year of scientific research at Fermilab.
Please re-prioritize. I am tired of seeing the United States fall further and further behind in science — especially at the expense of a war that never should have happened.
Kind regards,
–Daniel Miessler
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So, Daniel, I gather that you’re not a believer that government has no place except in preserving life and property.
Comment by Carl M — 12/19/2007 @ 6:22 pm
Don’t worry. The Democrats will save us. Oh, wat. :(
Comment by Maxo — 12/19/2007 @ 7:27 pm
As an Australian with a keen interest in making the world a safer place to live I find it positive to know that there are American citizens who realize that there’s something really wrong with the current government.
If you travel you’ll realize your news seems almost completely government controlled (it must be, because in your news the world is just perfect and humming along as it should be, and the world thinks America is doing a fine job on the world stage).
Well, I’ve got news for you, we don’t.
By the way, the real world news (the news you find in other countries) makes Americans out to be complete idiots. It’s good to be aware of this, as this isn’t based on meeting each and every one of you, it’s based on who you’re being represented by. I personally disagree with this view, but I travel and meet the human beings and find that no matter which country, we’re all pretty much the same.
I recently traveled to San Diego for a conference on peace and during my recent visits to the Gas Lamp District for lunch I spoke with many American’s who felt the same way.
You are nice people, and it would be good for other people in the world to realize this also, so please, really do make the world a better place, make a difference when you go to vote next year.
By the way, we just showed that it’s possible to get rid of a right wing extremist (John Howard). In addition, he lost his seat in Parliament. :)
Comment by Saul Lethbridge — 12/19/2007 @ 7:59 pm
Scientific endeavors should be funded by private interests, unless they have direct application to the defense of this country.
But the continued funding of an illegitimate police action in another part of the world is completely unacceptable.
Comment by ncloud — 12/19/2007 @ 10:10 pm
Just a quick critique of your letter…
I believe the phrase “cuts their budget by 17%” doesn’t convey what you’re trying to say. “cuts their budget by 83%” might do it a little better.
Comment by Tyler — 12/20/2007 @ 12:56 am
@ Tyler … 17% agrees with the numbers he gave.
@ ncloud … I disagree with your first sentence. No time to discuss the multitude of ways that I think the populace benefits from spending that is not directly related to defense. But, I respect your right to hold all of your opinions - both those I agree with and those I disagree with.
@ Daniel and all … I’ll be off the net for a while as I visit family. So, if any questions or comments are directed at me, this is why I’m not responding. Have a safe and peaceful holiday season.
Comment by Carl M — 12/20/2007 @ 1:14 am
Daniel,
You can pull money from any number of bloated programs that you don’t agree with. Just because you don’t like the war does not really make your point any more valid. For instance, President Bush is requesting $56 billion for education in ‘08. The $372 mil is less than one percent of that. I don’t like the education department for the most part. I think it is a failed program. So I advocate taking money from the education program just as you advocate taking from the war.
Merry Christmas,
Michael
Comment by Michael R. Farnum — 12/20/2007 @ 1:40 am
its not just the damage to existing programs that I fear the most, or even the fact that I might have to take an unpaid vacation. Its the loss of the brains and the impact this will have on future students of physics in this country.
Comment by Jason Ormes — 12/20/2007 @ 4:12 am
@Carl
No, I don’t think the government should be that limited. I think there are functions that are best suited to be handled by a responsible, truly representative democratic republic system.
But I don’t know where the line is — especially since the line changes according to how sophisticated the population is. In other words, if everyone were highly educated and highly moral, I’d be a hardcore libertarian. But since they’re not, I’m not.
A completely private society with no centralized standards, in today’s world, would create even more chaos and inequality than we have now — despite that being a very high standard.
Comment by Daniel Miessler — 12/20/2007 @ 4:53 am
@Michael
Despite how messed up our department of education is, I think the choice to take from it vs. the war is an easy one. One of the few things worse than an education bureaucracy (and there are only a very few) is an illegal war that makes the world hate us.
Comment by Daniel Miessler — 12/20/2007 @ 4:55 am
@Tyler
If you cut a budget by 83% you can’t end up with 83% of the initial value. :)
Comment by Daniel Miessler — 12/20/2007 @ 4:57 am
DURBIN AND OBAMA DROPPED THE BALL
The 2 Democratic senators from Illinois certainly fumbled in not protecting the future of Fermilab and Particle Physics in the US.
Durbin’s excuse for dropping the ball – “…we were left with stark choices – reduce funding for high-end physics or cut money for veterans; reduce spending at Fermilab or eliminate funding for rural hospitals” is a total insult –there are 9 billion dollars (2% of the bill) of almost 10,000 earmarks (average of almost 20 for each of the 535 senators and representatives) –and I’m sure that very few has anything to do with veterans or hospitals. He must think we are ignorant sheeps.
One would assume that this is an unintentional fumble by these 2 ambitious and supposedly sharp senators –but there will be some who think this is deliberate –after all, Fermilab is not situated in heavily Democratic Chicago, but in heavily Republican DuPage and Kane county–and in recently departed former Republican House speaker Hastert’s district.
So, Particle Physics, the crown jewel of American’s Scientific dominance in the last 70 yars–responsible for dozens of US Nobel prize winners, and such important advances as the World-Wide-Web (though that invention was developed at Fermilab’s sister lab in Eurpoe, CERN), might fade into the sunset from the US landscape.
Comment by Jack K — 12/20/2007 @ 12:20 pm
well we just had an interesting meeting… seems we are going to have to cut 200 people and everyone else takes 2 days a month furlough.
Comment by Jason Ormes — 12/20/2007 @ 6:12 pm
The problem with the Education Dept is how the money is being spent. Education is the foundation of any civilization and ours flat out is in ruins. My younger sister was never taught parts of speech. I’ve had some great teachers but I was lucky. I’ve seen some horrible teachers in schools lately, we should be recruiting teachers with competitive wages and getting people who actually majored in the subject that they teach.
@Saul I was just talking to a friend yesterday about the world view of Americans. We just had some traveling students from Germany and Sweden stay with us and I am glad that got to see that we all don’t eat McDonalds while watching football or Fox News all night.
Comment by Eamon — 12/21/2007 @ 12:22 am
I did basic research for many years, and I couldn’t find much of a job either. Sort of used and then dumped…american style..
Even though I was doing reserach in the biological and biochemical sciences, I FOUGHT for particle physics funding, the most basic of all sciences. And frankly I believe an attack on any of the sciences, medical, biological, chemical OR physical is an attack on all the others, because frankly, today is an attack on physics, tomorrow chemistry and the day after biological…
And I for one will NOT encourage young, intelligent students to go into scientific research, unless of course, they want a piece of shit of a life that I have had…
And I want to be quoted on that one…simply unethical…
Comment by Karl Olson — 2/19/2008 @ 11:59 pm
Not sure if this link will work .. or if you are given a heads up by the software when someone posts to an old post. Anyway, Fermilab got a large donation from an individual who apparently cares about US science.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-107843-9954648-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-13-0-5
Comment by Carl M — 5/29/2008 @ 2:48 pm