Fighting for science effectively

Pushing the frontiers of medicine, science, and technology takes highly trained people and extensive specialized infrastructure. You can’t just hire a self-taught coder off the internet and hand them a laptop to do this work. It’s a delicate, and hard-to-assemble system of people and technology, which US taxpayers have paid for decades to develop. It can be easily destroyed through ill-considered layoffs or inept budget cuts, and that is what is happening. I am not going to infer their thinking or goals. The actions and results are plain for everyone to see: US leadership and resources for continued advances in health, medicine, science, and technology are being squandered and destroyed. It is making all Americans’ lives worse. There is no way the US taxpayer wins in this. This is the most aggressive war on American health, science, and technology ever.

Let’s fight for it. If you’re for federally funded research, then let’s support it together. We don’t have to agree on everything, or ignore opportunities for improvements, but this is not the time for thoughtful reform. This isn’t an opportunity for both-siderism. This is an existential threat, and should be treated that way. Keep it simple, and stay focused on the goal: champion US federal funding of health, science, and technology. How can we bring more people into it?

Let’s focus on what it means to people. Every American should care about this not because of institutions, but because of what US leadership in health, science, and technology means to people: new cures, better treatment, leading science, breakthrough technology, jobs, health, new businesses, economic benefits, and more. The NIH and NSF are great, but it’s more compelling to a broad audience to fight not for institutions known by initials, but for their missions: health, science, and technology. Improving life for Americans.

Let’s support those on our side. Let’s not be purists or argue with how people are fighting for federally funded research. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Also, every pair of hands can help. Federally funded research in the US enjoys support across the political spectrum.

Let’s talk about actions. Let’s focus on this sound cause. An action. A rebellion against this assault on one of the key things that makes this country strong.

We all have friends or family members with health challenges. Often we have our own. We have been fortunate to live in the US with cutting edge work in clinical trials, new therapies, and cures. That work is being destroyed in real time, and the courts are not going to save us. Congress is not going to save us. If we do nothing, we lose it. We must fight for it.

We all enjoy the cutting edge science and technology in the US. Space exploration, computers, artificial intelligence, the internet, smartphones, and all of the jobs and economic advantages and quality-of-life improvements those entail. We all grew up in a US that was the leader in all of this. All of that leadership is now being destroyed in real time, and the courts are not going to save us. Congress is not going to save us. If we do nothing, we lose it. We must fight for it.

What to do? Contact representatives (whether or not you’re a voter, if you live in a district, you’re represented) online, by phone, or even in person. However works for you. Every bit counts. Urge your professional organizations (if you’re a member of any) to reach out– sometimes they can have more pull and lobbying influence. Protest. Educate your family and friends– there hasn’t been that much in the news about it if they’re not paying attention. Donate to organizations that are fighting too.

Lots of people have good ideas and thoughts about how to fight.