It seems like a terrible time to be a scientist in the United States. Federal budgets aren't being passed, and when they are, funding for science is slashed. The debate over immigration reform— including what to do about visas for high-skilled workers, such as scientists— is stalled. Everyone agrees that cybersecurity is a problem, but no one seems to have a solution. The restrictions on federal travel and conference participation are having an impact how science is done in the US— and may soon also include those with federal grants. Congress seems to think it can do peer review better than the scientific community. Meanwhile, we have no meaningful debate in Congress on climate change or energy policy. This lecture will cover how we got here, why we are stuck, and how the scientific community can impact policy.
