Exactly! And we have even less funding and facing our own huge budget cuts. This is such a devastating hit to global astrophysics. At a recent career seminar I was told to have a backup career, because there are just no jobs or funding in the UK.
Ripples from destroying Federal support for scientific research (inc. important programs that support students at various levels + post-docs) are a potential tsunami. People do not know how government works or how tightly programs are woven throughout communities. We seem to worship ignorance.
I mean I know people will say "it's just an animal" but umm excuse me, I'm not leaving my two dogs and two snakes behind. Yes you *can* move with pets sometimes but it's really hard??
I know this is meant to be funny, but 1) dumping animals is a huge ecological problem- eg, invasive species like pythons in FL, 2) neither would survive in the wild, and 3) I know a lot of people don't like snakes, but these are my pets and that's like glibly suggesting dumping my dogs.
It's amazing because not only is it expensive and time-consuming to move abroad but also, to what jobs?! Europe has amazing scientists struggling to find jobs, Europe isn't just waiting for Americans to decide they want to move and the same is true of everywhere else too
How many? And are they actually creating new jobs? (Advertising job openings their own scientists are already competing for to American scientists is not “taking in”.)
And most of them have to prioritize their own citizens in hiring, and many of them who were working here will now be coming home to look for jobs, too.
I’ve always pointed out if one of those countries *only* created equivalent jobs for their own citizens who are working in the USA, it’s often close to doubling their science budget. The sense of scale is just so vastly different.
Right I mean fine ok move me. Then move all my lab equipment. Then move the billion dollar missions (plural) I’ve been working on for the last ten years.
Also kind of shocking-- we talk all the time about defense spending as % of GDP and how the US spends more (at least in Norway) but I've never seen the same comparison done for R&D where the gap is as stark
To be honest, I'm more thinking "If you need to flee, we will take you in and try to make it work somehow". I'm deeply concerned about what's happening in your country.
Yes! Arrrgh! This has been driving me completely bonkers. First, other countries would have to make truly unprecedented new investments in science infrastructure and funding, and second, scientists are humans, not widgets!
I scienced overseas for 8 years in my 30s and every single aspect of my life was upended. (In a good way, it so happened, at the time, and because of my life stage, multiple overlapping privileges, and countless things on literally every front that had to work out the right way.)
I'm so glad I'm in Canada for grad school! It's also not feasible for most grad students to pack up and move, let alone people who already have tenure-track jobs in the field!
Exactly. And then when I say "I'm not abandoning my students" they go "they should move too". Like????? Ah yes, all my first gen zero generational wealth students with cultural and family ties should just up and move to another country 🤦♀️
I just got my dream job in the state I've been trying to get back to for years. I have no interest in leaving- I want to fight to make my home safe for everyone. And also moving sucks and I'm really sick of it.
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But telling people who cannot run that they should do so is not helpful.
Plus of course moving sucks.
Oh wait.
https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/gross-domestic-spending-on-r-d.html?oecdcontrol-e3f433c5d8-var8=USD_PPP&oecdcontrol-4105a61d69-var1=AUS%7CAUT%7CBEL%7CCAN%7CCHL%7CCOL%7CCRI%7CCZE%7CDNK%7CEST%7CFIN%7CFRA%7CDEU%7CGRC%7CHUN%7CISL%7CIRL%7CISR%7CITA%7CJPN%7CKOR%7CLVA%7CLTU%7CLUX%7CMEX%7CNLD%7CNZL%7CNOR%7CPOL%7CPRT%7CSVK%7CSVN%7CESP%7CSWE%7CCHE%7CTUR%7CGBR%7CUSA%7CEU27_2020&oecdcontrol-4105a61d69-var2=EU27_2020
I just got my dream job in the state I've been trying to get back to for years. I have no interest in leaving- I want to fight to make my home safe for everyone. And also moving sucks and I'm really sick of it.