A couple of simple ways you can make the world a better place without leaving the comfort of your keyboard. First, the American Physical Society has set up a convenient web page from which you can write to your representatives in Congress to voice your displeasure concerning the unexpected budget cuts that have decimated U.S. physics, particle physics and fusion research especially. As APS President Arthur Bienenstock writes:
Congress wrapped up the Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08) budget just before adjourning for the year. The budget, which wipes out $1 billion in increases approved last summer for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE Science) and the NIST laboratories, does irreparable damage to science and abandons the Innovation/Competitiveness initiatives of Congress and the Administration. While DOE Science programs received a 2.5 percent increase overall (exclusive of earmarks), they will decline by about one percent after inflation. High-energy physics and fusion will feel the greatest pain. High energy physics will likely have to eliminate hundreds of jobs, halt work on both the NOvA, the next step in neutrino physics at FermiLab and partially furlough many remaining employees. The Omnibus bill for FY08 also stopped R&D on the International Linear Collider project, an international high-precision step beyond the Large Hadron Collider, and zeroed out the U.S. contribution to the international ITER project, designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. These actions are severely damaging to the U.S. standing in the international scientific community.
Second, Steinn has come up with the clever idea of making our own Presidential Science Debate (just in case the official one doesn't come to pass, or at least while we're waiting). There are a pair of upcoming primary debates January 30/31, one for each party, and the Politico is soliciting questions to be asked of the candidates. So let's flood their inbox with sensible questions! Nothing about boxers v. briefs or whether they believe in the literal reality of transubstatiation -- let's ask about their commitment to basic research, their views on manned vs. robotic exploration of space, the promise of alternative energy sources, what have you.
