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superrific said:
I consider myself a thoughtful person. I score pretty high on that metric. I don't think this would affect the way I think of the night sky one iota.
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I'm fine with providing a modifier for you, that is, "generally speaking"no thoughtful person would see the night sky in the same way. But I am baffled by this stance and if you care to, would like you to write a few sentences about underlying reasons for "not being affected one iota." That in the context of thinking of the universe we are in.

All actual knowledge we have had was at least consistent with the possibility that life on Earth was a singular event in the universe, or--and this is what is described as informed speculation--that it so far at least it had looked like life is exceptionally rare in our own time frame. I can explain this part further if it's needed, but we exist not only in a very small space in the universe but also in an even smaller segment of time the universe has existed and will exist. If this result is confirmed we have shifted into a view of the universe in which other life is both in our time, and relatively close and way different from our own. You may or may not also consider such details as part of your rejection of being affected in any way.
 
A few days ago, had a beer with a friend who works closely with the academic and research mission of an academic hospital system. He had a blank, middle-distance gaze when describing the state of research and recruitment to medical and research specialties. This hospital system has made substantial contributions to the advancement of treatments for blood cancers, Parkinson's, pancreatic cancer, childhood cancers, amongst others. He reported that in the last month they lost two principle investigators to universities in China, two to the UK, one to Japan, one to France, one to the Netherlands. Mind you, there are triple digit number of labs, but to lose that many PIs in one month to international labs is unprecedented. This system typically loses PIs to Mayo, MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering, Mass General, etc.

In three months, this admin has likely set back medical advancements and QoL improvements by decades. The evisceration of institutional knowledge and trust experts will have in the US' values, mission, respect on the global stage, and commitment to science won't be recovered for generations.
 
an0maly said:
I'm fine with providing a modifier for you, that is, "generally speaking"no thoughtful person would see the night sky in the same way. But I am baffled by this stance and if you care to, would like you to write a few sentences about underlying reasons for "not being affected one iota." That in the context of thinking of the universe we are in.

All actual knowledge we have had was at least consistent with the possibility that life on Earth was a singular event in the universe, or--and this is what is described as informed speculation--that it so far at least it had looked like life is exceptionally rare in our own time frame. I can explain this part further if it's needed, but we exist not only in a very small space in the universe but also in an even smaller segment of time the universe has existed and will exist. If this result is confirmed we have shifted into a view of the universe in which other life is both in our time, and relatively close and way different from our own. You may or may not also consider such details as part of your rejection of being affected in any way.
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I have a similar perspective as super.

My own reasoning, since childhood, I've assumed life exists somewhere in the night sky. The technology hasn't existed to confirm distant life, but scientists have made many well informed estimates of a mind-boggling number of planets and moons within habitable zones, just within the Milky Way. The Milky Way is highly likely one of hundreds of billions of galaxies, possibly trillions. The presence of, at minimum, cellular or cellular analog life follows with the large numbers. The limitations to discovering extraterrestrial life has long been technological, not statistical; that we have technologies to possibly detect more granular evidence of the overwhelming statistical likelihood makes me go "cool." not "whoa!".
 
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Healing said:
I have a similar perspective as super.

My own reasoning, since childhood I've assumed life exists somewhere in the night sky. The technology hasn't existed to confirm distant life, but scientists have made many well informed estimates of a mind-boggling number of planets and moons within habitable zones, just within the Milky Way. The Milky Way is highly likely one of hundreds of billions of galaxies, possibly trillions. The presence of, at minimum, cellular or cellular analog life follows with the large numbers. The limitations to discovering extraterrestrial life has long been technological, not statistical; that we have technologies to possibly detect more granular evidence of the overwhelming statistical likelihood make me go "cool." not "whoa!".
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Well, "cool," for me, counts as what I started with, which is not looking at the sky of stars in the same way.
 
an0maly said:
I'm fine with providing a modifier for you, that is, "generally speaking"no thoughtful person would see the night sky in the same way. But I am baffled by this stance and if you care to, would like you to write a few sentences about underlying reasons for "not being affected one iota." That in the context of thinking of the universe we are in.
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When I look at the night sky, I've never been interested in whether we are alone in the universe. I'm more interested in where is dark matter exactly, whether it's even matter at all or simply evidence of the imperfection of Einstein's equations for space time, are neutrinos real or mathematical artefacts, etc. Different emphases.
 
an0maly said:
National Science Foundation being destroyed, with attendant diverse damages, and I don't expect any sort of recovery during our lifetimes.
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I've seen a lot of talk like this: damage will be permanent; never rebuild; etc. Could you explain why?

From an abstract perspective, it would seem that you could just rehire the people who got axed. In some cases, perhaps, the actual people; in other cases, people of comparable credentials. The longer it remains shuttered, of course, the harder it would be but let's say it gets fixed in 2027 or 2029. It's not as if everyone will have just forgotten how to run an NSF?

I suspect that there are several factors that I'm either unaware of or are downplaying in importance.
 
superrific said:
When I look at the night sky, I've never been interested in whether we are alone in the universe. I'm more interested in where is dark matter exactly, whether it's even matter at all or simply evidence of the imperfection of Einstein's equations for space time, are neutrinos real or mathematical artefacts, etc. Different emphases.
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While your comment on dark energy could be debatable, the nonexistence of neutrinos cannot.
 
stankeylegjones said:
While your comment on dark energy could be debatable, the nonexistence of neutrinos cannot.
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To be honest, I wanted a list of three for some reason, but could only think of two of the top of my head, so I just made some shit up for #3.

I've been laid up last night and today with a nasty stomach bug, so I'm taking liberties.
 
Why are they doing this? I just don’t understand what they think is the benefit to destroying our lead in scientific and medical research. What possible benefit is there to MAGA dipshits?
 
Being in an area with little-to-zero light pollution gives one a different view of the sky. It gives one an impressively better and more detailed view of the night sky.

Being in an area with zero light pollution didn’t change how I look at the stars or how I view the likelihood of intelligent life somewhere out there (I’ve thought it exists as long as I remember - I wasn’t brought up believing in any creationist mythology).

I’ve been to the Brooks Range, the Alaska Range (Denali, Foraker, etc.), the Kenai Peninsula, boats 100 miles from any land east of the Windward Islands in the Atlantic……..the view of the night sky is incredible in such places.

It lets you know how much light pollution exists in Western North Carolina, West Virginia, Northern Maine, Gulf of Maine, Adirondacks in Upstate Maine, Glacier in Montana, Yellowstone, the Olympic Peninsula……….remote places all.
 
Geisterfahrer said:
Why are they doing this? I just don’t understand what they think is the benefit to destroying our lead in scientific and medical research. What possible benefit is there to MAGA dipshits?
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I assumme the DOGE boys have some kind of "program Analyzer" search code If there is a program called "STEM For Minorites" or for females-it is an automatic kick out of the whole budget
 
mpaer said:
I assumme the DOGE boys have some kind of "program Analyzer" search code If there is a program called "STEM For Minorites" or for females-it is an automatic kick out of the whole budget
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I think that's some of it - killing anything and everything with a "DEI" cast. But they're wiping out all scientific and medical research. It's well beyond DEI in effect but I think in intent also.
 
If “diversity” is part of a scientist’s research, it’s flagged and flagged in a negative manner.

Apply for an NSF grant to study the “Diversity of Fauna on the Hawaiian Islands” and you’re screwed.
 
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