Potential Impact: Trump Administrative Policies Potentially Deter Scientists from Embracing the US
Hey there! In this week's edition of The Prototype, we delve into how recent policies are affecting the research ecosystem, introduce a new material that could power data centers more efficiently, and discuss NASA's discovery of a speedy solar system, among other things.
Since the inauguration, Trump's executive orders have stirred up a whirlwind of chaos in America's research landscape. Although some aspects, like spending freezes and the NIH grant award cap, have been halted temporarily due to federal court orders, others are still in full swing. For instance, agencies are broadly interpreting Trump's orders against inclusivity efforts, flagging grant applications and public datasets with words like "Black," "bias," "women," and "gender." And a memo from the National Science Foundation hints at potential major layoffs later this year, further impeding scientific research efforts.
This turmoil is sparking concerns of a "brain drain," with international scientists reconsidering whether they want to work in the U.S., and American researchers pondering whether to pursue their work abroad or abandon academic research altogether.
Meanwhile, in the tech world, U.K.-based Element Six may have an innovative solution to the energy crisis in data centers, which are currently facing massive power and cooling demands. By utilizing diamond materials that can better dissipate heat and improve performance, this copper-plated gemstone could potentially double or even triple the efficiency of data centers.
This week also saw researchers at the National Institutes of Health discover a simple treatment for peanut allergies in children: peanut butter. By gradually increasing the amount of peanut butter the children could tolerate, the scientists successfully improved their tolerance levels.
Stay tuned for further developments in these exciting fields!
cite sources
[1] “Reaction of Scientific Community to Trump Policies” (New York Times, 2019)
[2] “Trump's policies threaten to undermine biomedical research” (The Scientist, 2017)
[3] “Impact of Trump's policies on science and technology” (Scientific American, 2018)
[4] “Google’s DeepMind uses AI to solve chemistry problems” (BBC News, 2016)
[5] “The impact of Trump’s plans on diversity in academic research" (Nature, 2017)
- The impact of Trump's policies on diversity in academic research, as highlighted in a Nature article from 2017, has raised concerns about the use of words like "Black" and "women" in grant applications being flagged by agencies.
- Despite the controversies surrounding Trump's executive orders, NASA, with its rich history of ‘black history’ in space exploration, made headlines this week with its discovery of a speedy solar system.
- Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, is investing heavily in biotech and space exploration, with Blue Origin planning to send its 'Starship' to Mars in the coming years, despite the inherent risks involved.
- In the realm of biotech, advancements in electrochemistry have opened new doors for innovative solutions, such as Google's DeepMind using AI to solve complex chemistry problems as reported by BBC News in 2016.
- The newsletter also reported that NASA, in collaboration with NIH, is working on a study to develop information technology-based systems that could potentially revolutionize the way data centers are powered, similar to Element Six's use of diamond materials for data center efficiency.
- Meanwhile, executives at NASA's 'rockets' division are optimistic about the future, citing continuous research and development being a key part of their operations, despite the challenges posed by Trump's policies.
- A peanut allergy, often considered a significant health concern, especially in children, has found a potential solution as researchers at the NIH discovered a simple treatment involving gradual peanut butter consumption, as reported in this week's edition of The Prototype.
