MIT president Kornbluth: Why so many optimistic scientists are losing heart

[CousinIT]

NO paywall: https://archive.ph/HPEjt

https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/27/science-funding-derailed-breakthroughs/

. . .

So let me say it as clearly as I can: Without basic scientific research, supported by the kind of farsighted public investment that allows large-scale, undirected, curiosity-driven inquiry, the scientific pipeline will run dry.

In daily life, people may not feel the effects right away, or even in 10 years. But we will feel it. And when someone we love needs therapies that could have emerged but didn’t or when other countries now investing in science can launch new science-based industries or run their societies on vast resources of fusion energy or reap the benefits of quantum computing power or advanced medical breakthroughs, America will wish it sustained its leadership in scientific research here and now.

[Johonny]

1. The brain drain is real and will absolutely

Damage the economy. Trump is a disaster for science, health, economics... He is a moron with the wrong priorities. He doesn't know what makes America great.

[CousinIT]

3. Russel Vought is setting new draconian "rules" for government scientific grants and funding.

New proposed OMB regulation, applying to all federal grants, requiring grant reviews by senior political appointees, and re-emphasizes that "peer review remains advisory and does not replace agency discretion".

Vought also threatens Universities with "permanent bans" if they are or have in the past supported any "DEI" efforts. It's "hot mess" as the "Stand Up for Science" people say. Not only is Vought DEFUNDING scientific research, he's changing the rules on who can get it, under what circumstance, and threatening immediate and/or permanent removal if they do not comply with Trump/MAGA racist and misogynist anti-DEI rules or if they try to conduct research into anything Trump and Republicans are against - like women's health.

BREAKING:

New proposed OMB regulation, applying to all federal grants, requiring grant reviews by senior political appointees and re-emphasizes that "peer review remains advisory and does not replace agency discretion".

#standupforscience

public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-10817.pdf

— Stand Up for Science! (@standupforscience.net) 2026-05-28T16:39:50.676Z

READ THE WHOLE THREAD:

🚨UPDATE: We will launch our action center on this issue tomorrow.

📣JOIN US: Emergency Science Meeting (Virtual) June 2nd at 4pm et. Details to come.

Our Policy Team has read through the entire 400 page hot mess express from Russ Vought...here are the high level details.

A Thread🧵 1/x

— Stand Up for Science! (@standupforscience.net) 2026-05-28T19:29:00.670Z

[yardwork]

2. It's the biggest self-own in U.S. history.

For 75 years the U.S. federal government worked with public and private research institutions to discover cures, treatments, and new products. Industry counted on this research to take new ideas and products to market.

Every innovation you can think of came from this partnership. Think a company discovered it? Think again. The original discovery was almost certainly made at a research university, funded with federal dollars.

All gone.