Three prominent researchers warn about the current existential threat in the United States
Helmut Schwarz has been reading about what happened to science during the rise of Adolf Hitler, almost a century ago.
The German chemist just received the Frontiers of Knowledge Award from the BBVA Foundation in Spain, due to his contributions to the field of catalysis. For him, there are parallels between the situation in Nazi Germany and Trump’s United States.
“From 1900 to 1932, a third of all Nobel Prizes went to Germany, more than to the U.S. and the U.K. combined,” he tells EL PAÍS. He and two other scientists sat down with EL PAÍS in Bilbao, where they received their awards.
“When Hitler came to power,” he continues, “German science — which led the world — completely disintegrated. But Hitler thought that wouldn’t be a problem,” he continues. Now, Donald Trump’s administration views universities — supposed hotbeds of progressive ideology — as the enemy. He wants to bring them under his control. “In my opinion, the threat isn’t immediate, but it’s very important in the long term,” Schwarz adds.
Even then, it will just slow research down and set us back. Scientists won't stop sciencing, and it certainly won't lead to discoveries they want.
The system they're describing helps but the people are the ones that matter, not the institutions.
My point is no matter their approach, they will not be able to control the outcome of scientific research. The anti-intellectual fails to understand this. It's the whole of their being.
In the global long run, yes, you're right, however the point here is comparing what happened in Nazi Germany to what's happening now in the US. It's not about Trump's America trying to get "the discoveries they want," it's about eliminating objectivity and punishing party-line dissenters. They don't actually care about science at all one way or the other, they care about political control
Some of us remember the damage that Bush's stem cell research ban did and how it set the world back decades for literally no reason whatsoever.
This is going to be so much worse than that.
It won't set you back. It will permanently and irreparably erode the country's status and capacity as the pre-eminent hub of scientific innovation and discovery.
World War 2 was 80 years ago. Germany has never regained the lead it once held in chemistry and medical research.
Well... that can be more serious that you suggest. Tenure-track faculty need publication-worthy projects and grad students; what if the only funding available is military- and surveillance-oriented? Big universities are going to expect scientists to bring in the money or leave.
That's... A fair point. That's probably the best argument I've heard so far.