Very well said, Santanu.
On Nov 14, 2012, at 9:55 AM, "Roy, Santanu" <s...@mail.smu.edu> wrote: > Hi Chandan-da, > Of course, it has a huge downside. As a whole, federal spending on research > has suffered huge cuts over the years. It is the easiest to cut; there is no > clear political constituency that objects (unless it is funding for military > purposes that come with huge kick backs). The allocation of this spending > has also been suboptimal as the lack of funding for stem cell research > suggests, but the actual impact of that pales in comparison to the impact of > shrinking research budget size. > Research and higher education have been the primary engines of US prosperity > and growth; but more than that, the US leadership here has defined the > frontier for the rest of the world for about a century (most of the world has > been free riding in a sense). As the US declines, its profitable economic > activities might move elsewhere;, but I see no hope that achievements in > basic research will be taken up by any of the rising Asian stars. It is much > easier for other economies to adopt technology, to do product and process > innovation, to apply basic research and make money. It is much harder to > build up institutions that create incentives for doing seemingly useless > fundamental research. Yet the latter is the foundation on which all > technological progress rests. The epoch of western civilization - white > peoples' intellectual journey - that began in the Italian city states in the > middle ages may finally be coming to an end; the emegence of darkness in the > minds of its last frontier in America may simply be a reflection of that. > Santanu. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: assam [mailto:assam-boun...@assamnet.org] On Behalf Of Chan Mahanta > Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 8:55 AM > To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world > Subject: Re: [Assam] Hot News from USA > > Never thought of it that way Santanu. While it does make some profoundly > cynical sense, there is a downside to it though: Because these are the people > who control the hearings and the pathway to funding of basic research and > higher education that the Govt. must do and private enterprise won't. > > > On Nov 14, 2012, at 8:01 AM, "Roy, Santanu" <s...@mail.smu.edu> wrote: > >> Dilip-da: >> I agree with you about the general apathy towards science, but there is >> something more too - a hostility towards science in the minds of the >> religious fringe (quite a large fringe). They truly believe it to be a dark >> art and would like to retain some political control over it. Having these >> kind of representatives provides some form of assurance to this section of >> the population, and allows government to function with less friction. As >> long as these representatives are sufficiently corrupt to compromise on >> their "principles" (they always are), they do serve a useful purpose. The >> crazies must feel included. >> Santanu. >> ________________________________________ >> From: assam [assam-boun...@assamnet.org] on behalf of Dilip Deka >> [dilipd...@yahoo.com] >> Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 7:46 AM >> To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the >> world >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Hot News from USA >> >> Think of the reason why the science committee gets such members. >> To start with, science is not an attractive subject in USA. So, anything to >> do with science gets lower ranking than say economy, finance, health,social >> security etc. Thus, the science committee does not attract the star players. >> The rejects who do not get selected to any other committee opt for the likes >> of science committee.The common man does not care what rubbish the science >> committee puts out or what the members utter in the name of science. The >> importance of a committee is measured in terms of how many dollars it >> influences. >> Dilip >> ====================================================================== >> = >> >> --- On Tue, 11/13/12, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> From: Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>> Subject: Re: [Assam] Hot News from USA >>> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the >>> world" <assam@assamnet.org> >>> Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 9:42 PM If it is not theater of the >>> absurd, I can't imagine what would be! >>> Faat diya boxumoti paatale' lukaon! ( Please Mother earth, split >>> asunder, so I can hide from this shame). >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 9:35 PM, amlan saha <a.s...@alumni.tufts.edu> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Ah, the ever amusing Science Committee, which counts >>> among its members the >>>> likes of >>>> >>>> - *Todd Akin* - "If it's a >>> legitimate rape, the female body has ways to >>>> try to shut that whole thing down." >>>> - *Paul Broun* - "All that stuff I >>> was taught about evolution and >>>> embryology and the Big Bang Theory, >>> all that is lies straight from the pit >>>> of Hell," >>>> - *Roscoe Bartlett* - "There are >>> very few pregnancies as a result of >>>> rape, fortunately, and incest - >>> compared to the usual abortion, what is the >>>> percentage of abortions for rape? It >>> is tiny. It is a tiny, tiny >>>> percentage." >>>> - *Randy Neugebauer* - "join together >>> in prayer to humbly seek fair >>>> weather conditions" after several >>> destructive tornadoes and droughts. >>>> - *Dana Rohrabacher* - "We don't >>> know what those other cycles [of global >>>> warming] were caused by in the past. >>> Could be dinosaur flatulence, you >>>> know, or who knows?" >>>> - *Jim Sensenbrenner* - railed against >>> "scientific fascism" and called >>>> climate change research an >>> "international conspiracy". >>>> - *Sandy Adams* - voted in favor of a >>> bill to teach theories that >>>> contradict the theory of evolution. >>>> >>>> Rohrabacher and Sensenbrenner are now in the running to >>> take the gavel of >>>> the Committee in the 113th Congress! >>>> >>>> >>>> On Tue, Nov 13, 2012 at 10:05 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> He is still a Congressman you know, lame duck as he >>> is. But it is >>>> appalling to see the pea-brained people that are in the >>> Science >>>> Subcommittee. It is a pathetic joke. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 7:02 PM, "Alpana B. >>> Sarangapani" < >>>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I meant - if it were a hot topic, then!. : ) >>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I can see why Bobby Jindal is >>> urging HIS people to "stop being the >>>> stupid party" . >>>>>> >>>>>> What about him, in spite of being Rhodes >>> Scholar being a gung-ho >>>> supporter of the NRA? >>>>>> >>>>>> I thought Todd Akin lost. Can he still serve at >>> a (any) Congressional >>>> Committee? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Sent from my iPad >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 3:20 PM, "Chan Mahanta" >>> <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> I didn't get that, A. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 3:14 PM, "Alpana B. >>> Sarangapani" < >>>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> But that would have made India's cases >>> similar to that, stronger, >>>> don't you think, C-da? : ) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 2:58 PM, "Chan >>> Mahanta" <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Oh, darn A! >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Looks like I had been losing sleep >>> over nothing. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> But anyway, it was fun reading >>> about it. Where else can we get such >>>> interesting news from? I mean >>>>>>>>> other than Missouri. Did you >>> know our very own Todd Akin serves at >>>> the Congressional Science Sub-committee? >>>>>>>>> I can see why Bobby Jindal is >>> urging HIS people to "stop being the >>>> stupid party" . >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Used to think that India had >>> problems, you know? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 2:44 PM, >>> "Alpana B. Sarangapani" < >>>> absarangap...@hotmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> It has (or is) never been a hot >>> topic even to think or discuss >>>> about it, let alone be tensed about it. : ) >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On Nov 13, 2012, at 12:29 PM, >>> "Chan Mahanta" <cmaha...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Folks, >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> I am greatly relieved to >>> share a terrific piece of news that many >>>> of us Markhowas have been sweating under since November >>> 6: That the leader >>>> of the Secessionist movement from Texas is a real >>> Gandhian, says "---We >>>> walk in the same vein as Gandhi and those guys" >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> For more on it, look up: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Read more: >>>> http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83776.html#ixzz2C8161Xxo >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Now my question to our >>> friends from Texas is if they too are >>>> equally relieved. >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> cm :-) >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> PS: I understand that Texas >>> Governor 'Oops' Perry, once a >>>> secessionist himself, will not back the new freedom >>> seekers. >>>>>>>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> assam mailing list >>>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> assam mailing list >>>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> assam mailing list >>>> assam@assamnet.org >>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> assam@assamnet.org >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> assam@assamnet.org >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> assam@assamnet.org >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
