Beat me to it on writing about this, Charles. The thing about R&D is that it’s not splashy, it has no dog whistle to it (like the Gulf of America stupidity), and its results take years to manifest a benefit. And those who benefit—translation: all of us—don’t make the connection to research that may have begun 10, 20, or 30 years ago.
Therefore, no one considers the cost of such cuts in science, research, and development. It’s a long-term price we ultimately pay.
I sometimes wonder if the lack of an education in critical thinking, and/or the graduate and post-graduate population, has anything to do with this.
Beat me to it on writing about this, Charles. The thing about R&D is that it’s not splashy, it has no dog whistle to it (like the Gulf of America stupidity), and its results take years to manifest a benefit. And those who benefit—translation: all of us—don’t make the connection to research that may have begun 10, 20, or 30 years ago.
Therefore, no one considers the cost of such cuts in science, research, and development. It’s a long-term price we ultimately pay.
I sometimes wonder if the lack of an education in critical thinking, and/or the graduate and post-graduate population, has anything to do with this.
NPR did a piece on this today. It’s a good companion listen to your essay: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/08/nx-s1-5383918/economists-trump-research-science-cuts-gdp-recession