Commenters reacted to an NSF memo they said signals a partisan shakeup of research priorities. iAMkenough warned that science funding will flip every four years and long-term projects will be cut midstream, while rsfern argued those cuts aren’t inevitable because Congress can block presidential budget requests and policy can be changed back. Several users mocked the idea of ideologically driven grants (petre, burnt-resistor) and voiced alarm at political interference: Jamesbeam used hyperbolic rhetoric to portray a hostile public and clueless political oversight, and kelipso blamed scientists for enabling politicization. jawilson2 questioned how fields like cancer or Alzheimer’s research could be politicized, reflecting another strand of skepticism.
Opinion divides over permanence and culpability. Some commenters treated the memo as a foregone step toward chaotic, short-term direction of national science and cited recent defunding anecdotes and political theater (iAMkenough’s references to defunded projects and a DOGE-themed jab), while others urged that institutional checks and future choices could restore stable, nonpartisan funding (rsfern). The conversation split between anger and sarcasm about political interference, calls to hold scientists responsible for their public image, and a countervailing view that democratic institutions or a change of course could reverse the policy.
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Gowers explains he did not sign the Fields medallists' letter despite agreeing with its message, preferring to express his views through a blog post. He shares a personal story about his early attempts to understand Fermat's Last Theorem to illustrate the value of learning from problem-solving regardless of success. (gowers.wordpress.com)
Neuroscientists in the US have successfully integrated human cells into mice brains, creating partly human brains in laboratory animals. The researchers aim to develop better models for testing treatments for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases. (bbc.com)
Fossil tooth analysis shows that Tyrannosaurus rex was warm-blooded. This finding provides new insights into the physiology and behavior of the dinosaur. (cnn.com)
Am I Cited by AI? tracks which AI tools read and cite research papers, providing insights on AI engagement with scientific work. Users can see how often AI reads their papers and which sources they reach for most. (amicitedby.ai)
NASA plans to launch Artemis II on April 1, 2026, capturing high-speed 35mm film footage of the event. The launch is part of the Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon. (images.nasa.gov)
The universe's expansion is explained by modern cosmology, which builds on past models like Copernicus's heliocentric theory that challenged geocentric views. The current standard model, despite fitting observations, is complex and contains many adjustments, similar to how earlier models used intricate mechanisms to explain planetary motion. (cosmicave.org)
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