Comments on: Budget Doubling? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:54:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Not Even Wrong » Blog Archive » European Strategy for Particle Physics http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11209 Not Even Wrong » Blog Archive » European Strategy for Particle Physics Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:57:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11209 [...] Back here in the U.S., on Monday the Bush administration is releasing its FY2007 budget proposals. An outline of the DOE budget lists an 8% increase in HEP spending to $775.1 million, as well as full funding for RHIC. The NSF should also see a sizable increase as part of the so-called American Competitiveness Initiative. The folks over at Cosmic Variance are experiencing some cognitive dissonance. [...] [...] Back here in the U.S., on Monday the Bush administration is releasing its FY2007 budget proposals. An outline of the DOE budget lists an 8% increase in HEP spending to $775.1 million, as well as full funding for RHIC. The NSF should also see a sizable increase as part of the so-called American Competitiveness Initiative. The folks over at Cosmic Variance are experiencing some cognitive dissonance. [...]

]]> By: It’s for Real! | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11208 It’s for Real! | Cosmic Variance Fri, 03 Feb 2006 04:55:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11208 [...] It’s been a roller-coaster ride the past couple of days regarding funding for the basic physical sciences. First, on Tuesday night our new self-proclaimed Science President announced a doubling of funds for research in the physical sciences. It was a very welcome announcement, but a tough sell in convincing us all given the Science President’s track record. Then the Science President’s science advisor, Dr. Marburger, held a web-based Q&A session on Wednesday afternoon. Our friends broke through and got answers to our very basic question: `does this new science iniative encompass basic science such a particle physics?’ Alas, the answer was no. [...] [...] It’s been a roller-coaster ride the past couple of days regarding funding for the basic physical sciences. First, on Tuesday night our new self-proclaimed Science President announced a doubling of funds for research in the physical sciences. It was a very welcome announcement, but a tough sell in convincing us all given the Science President’s track record. Then the Science President’s science advisor, Dr. Marburger, held a web-based Q&A session on Wednesday afternoon. Our friends broke through and got answers to our very basic question: `does this new science iniative encompass basic science such a particle physics?’ Alas, the answer was no. [...]

]]> By: Ask the White House | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11207 Ask the White House | Cosmic Variance Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:32:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11207 [...] I just heard that Dr. John Marburger, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is taking questions on last night’s State of the Union Address delivered by our new Science President. today at 4pm ET. You can submit your questions at this web site. But hurry - he is answering the questions at 4 PM Eastern time (great advance notice, eh?). CV readers, this is your challenge - let’s mob the White House with questions about funding for basice science! [...] [...] I just heard that Dr. John Marburger, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is taking questions on last night’s State of the Union Address delivered by our new Science President. today at 4pm ET. You can submit your questions at this web site. But hurry – he is answering the questions at 4 PM Eastern time (great advance notice, eh?). CV readers, this is your challenge – let’s mob the White House with questions about funding for basice science! [...]

]]> By: Thoughts on science and life » Blog Archive » State of the Union 2006 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11206 Thoughts on science and life » Blog Archive » State of the Union 2006 Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:29:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11206 [...] Last night, President Bush delivered his 2006 State Of The Union address. Lubos Motl thinks that Bush is a genius (or rather, that he was "shining"). JoAnne at Cosmic Variance don't seem to agree. [...] [...] Last night, President Bush delivered his 2006 State Of The Union address. Lubos Motl thinks that Bush is a genius (or rather, that he was “shining”). JoAnne at Cosmic Variance don’t seem to agree. [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11205 Clifford Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:12:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11205 Nick.... what you suggest is very important indeed. Thanks for that! -cvj Nick…. what you suggest is very important indeed. Thanks for that!

-cvj

]]> By: Nicholas Warner http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11204 Nicholas Warner Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:56:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11204 My initial reaction was much like JoAnne's and I confess to a deep dislike of Dubya. HOWEVER we need to try to do something positive, and do it by taking a leaf out of the republican play-book. The chances are that your congressperson doesn't have a clue about what is meant by basic science and so we need to help him/her define it and support it. Therefore, write to your congressman/woman and say how heartened you were by GWB and explain the importance of basic research and say exactly what it is for you (Cosmology, String Theory, ... ) Talk about how you have gone to elementary and high school classes and talked to rapt XXX grade students about the mysteries of the universe. Do it on letterhead and then phone, and keep phoning the congressmans office to emphasize how important it is ... and how we need money for post-docs, graduate students, computers ...... . Ttry to get a group of your colleagues to have an "audience" with your Congressperson...... Before you post another word to a blog, WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES and get them behind this. It is probably a quixotic waste of time, but think of it as a poor-man's form of Pascal's bet. If the republicans are met with endless moaning then it will certainly come to nothing, and we will have the satisfaction of being correct and impoverished ...... My initial reaction was much like JoAnne’s and I confess to a deep dislike of Dubya. HOWEVER we need to try to do something positive, and do it by taking a leaf out of the republican play-book. The chances are that your congressperson doesn’t have a clue about what is meant by basic science and so we need to help him/her define it and support it. Therefore, write to your congressman/woman and say how heartened you were by GWB and explain the importance of basic research and say exactly what it is for you (Cosmology, String Theory, … ) Talk about how you have gone to elementary and high school classes and talked to rapt XXX grade students about the mysteries of the universe. Do it on letterhead and then phone, and keep phoning the congressmans office to emphasize how important it is … and how we need money for post-docs, graduate students, computers …… . Ttry to get a group of your colleagues to have an “audience” with your Congressperson……

Before you post another word to a blog, WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES and get them behind this. It is probably a quixotic waste of time, but think of it as a poor-man’s form of Pascal’s bet. If the republicans are met with endless moaning then it will certainly come to nothing, and we will have the satisfaction of being correct and impoverished ……

]]> By: Steinn Sigurdsson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11203 Steinn Sigurdsson Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:28:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11203 Everyone knows Groundhog Day is on thursday! Given the fate of recent initiatives mentioned explicitly in State of the Union speeches, it may be time to get out of the supercomputing business. Energy alternates we already know about (heard on NPR - they already gave $10 billion to every energy interest in the country, and we got nothing to show for it). Shame about nanotech, it had quite a promising future I thought. Everyone knows Groundhog Day is on thursday!

Given the fate of recent initiatives mentioned explicitly in State of the Union speeches, it may be time to get out of the supercomputing business.
Energy alternates we already know about (heard on NPR – they already gave $10 billion to every energy interest in the country, and we got nothing to show for it).

Shame about nanotech, it had quite a promising future I thought.

]]> By: JoAnne http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11202 JoAnne Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:12:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11202 Kasper, Both the American Institute of Physics and DOE itself maintain web pages with science budget info: <a href="http://www.aip.org/gov/budginfo.html" rel="nofollow">AIP</a> and <a href="http://www.science.doe.gov/obp/FinMgmtDiv.htm" rel="nofollow">DOE</a>. Neither page gives easy access to previous budgets. A good source for previous fiscal years is the Office of Management and Budget itself. THe URL is: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/ Just replace 2006 with the year that you want. Catch is, they only have 2002-2006 online. Kasper, Both the American Institute of Physics and DOE itself maintain web pages with science budget info: AIP and DOE. Neither page gives easy access to previous budgets. A good source for previous fiscal years is the Office of Management and Budget itself. THe URL is:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/

Just replace 2006 with the year that you want. Catch is, they only have 2002-2006 online.

]]> By: moon http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11201 moon Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:00:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11201 Dude, the key words were "most basic critical programs" that could be belly-button research for all we know. It does most likely mean that it won't be a wholesale doubling of NSF's budget, which was promised just a few years ago, but instead just a few pet projects of the president. Dude, the key words were “most basic critical programs” that could be belly-button research for all we know. It does most likely mean that it won’t be a wholesale doubling of NSF’s budget, which was promised just a few years ago, but instead just a few pet projects of the president.

]]> By: hack http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11200 hack Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:20:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11200 Heh. He's only got two years to go, so it's real big of him to propose spending more money over the next ten years. Can you say "unfunded mandate"? Heh. He’s only got two years to go, so it’s real big of him to propose spending more money over the next ten years. Can you say “unfunded mandate”?

]]> By: Scott http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11199 Scott Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:01:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11199 Doubling within 10 years means and increase of 7.177346% per year. inflation is a little over 3%. Well I guess this is better then nothing assuming he doesn't just move money around like with the mars thing. Doubling within 10 years means and increase of 7.177346% per year. inflation is a little over 3%. Well I guess this is better then nothing assuming he doesn’t just move money around like with the mars thing.

]]> By: Cycle Quark » State of the Union http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11198 Cycle Quark » State of the Union Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:36:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11198 [...] The folks at Cosmic Variance are discussing this topic also. Skepticism seems to be the order of the day so far. I know that there is a long and complicated process to implement the promise made last night, but I think that  there is recognition of the problem in various  parts of the government. [...] [...] The folks at Cosmic Variance are discussing this topic also. Skepticism seems to be the order of the day so far. I know that there is a long and complicated process to implement the promise made last night, but I think that  there is recognition of the problem in various  parts of the government. [...]

]]> By: Uncle Al http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11192 Uncle Al Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:02:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11192 Bush as the Science President? Drive-up autotellers in California have Braille text under their English text. I don't see many white canes tapping for bots dots along the freeways. "Tell a lie so 'colossal' that no one would believe anyone 'could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously'. The first documented use of the phrase 'big lie' is in the corresponding passage: 'in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility' - <em>Mein Kampf</em>, p. 134. "His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it." http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/h/hitler-adolf/oss-papers/text/profile-index.html Bush as the Science President? Drive-up autotellers in California have Braille text under their English text. I don’t see many white canes tapping for bots dots along the freeways.

“Tell a lie so ‘colossal’ that no one would believe anyone ‘could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously’. The first documented use of the phrase ‘big lie’ is in the corresponding passage: ‘in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility’ – Mein Kampf, p. 134.

“His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/h/hitler-adolf/oss-papers/text/profile-index.html

]]> By: Branedy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11197 Branedy Wed, 01 Feb 2006 11:11:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11197 This has all the same sounds as the "Great Manned Mars Mission" NASA program which shutdown Hubble prematurly and closed out many other programs. The budget increase did not even cover any additional Shuttle flights to the space station. Quite a plan!!! This has all the same sounds as the “Great Manned Mars Mission” NASA program which shutdown Hubble prematurly and closed out many other programs. The budget increase did not even cover any additional Shuttle flights to the space station.

Quite a plan!!!

]]> By: JoseIRS http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11196 JoseIRS Wed, 01 Feb 2006 09:45:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11196 If nanotechnology, supercomputing and alternative energy sources is basic research, what is applied research? and what are particle physics or foundations of quantum mechanics, for example? If nanotechnology, supercomputing and alternative energy sources is basic research, what is applied research? and what are particle physics or foundations of quantum mechanics, for example?

]]> By: Kasper Olsen http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11195 Kasper Olsen Wed, 01 Feb 2006 07:38:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11195 JoAnne, where can I find statistics about the previous budgets for research in Physics? Sean, I've never actually seen the Groundhog, so it seems more than hard for me to tell the difference. Any clues? ;-) Best, Kasper JoAnne, where can I find statistics about the previous budgets for research in Physics? Sean, I’ve never actually seen the Groundhog, so it seems more than hard for me to tell the difference. Any clues? ;-)

Best, Kasper

]]> By: bittergradstudent http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11194 bittergradstudent Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:51:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11194 Bush <a href="http://bodyandsoul.typepad.com/blog/aids/index.html" rel="nofollow">Has been known</a> to use accounting tricks as a cover for obviously inflated numbers for projects in his SOTU addresses. I also find it interesting that, with his talk of doubling science funding, the NSF was not mentioned by name. Could be me being cynical, though. That's certianly been known to happen. Bush Has been known to use accounting tricks as a cover for obviously inflated numbers for projects in his SOTU addresses. I also find it interesting that, with his talk of doubling science funding, the NSF was not mentioned by name.

Could be me being cynical, though. That’s certianly been known to happen.

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11193 Sean Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:26:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11193 Passed on from a friend: "This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address occur on the same day. It is an ironic juxtaposition of events: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, while the other involves a groundhog." Passed on from a friend:

“This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address occur on the same day.

It is an ironic juxtaposition of events: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, while the other involves a groundhog.”

]]> By: James Annan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/comment-page-1/#comment-11191 James Annan Wed, 01 Feb 2006 04:46:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/01/31/budget-doubling/#comment-11191 Cynically, I would suggest that he plans to double the budget <em>of these areas</em>, by taking money from elsewhere. Cynically, I would suggest that he plans to double the budget of these areas, by taking money from elsewhere.

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