Trump suggests many changes in policy along several dimensions: a) more protectionism – less globalization, b) more coal, shale oil and gas – less renewable energies, c) less migration.
Since USA is the largest economy, the change of its policy is an important change of global policy. Applied scientific research and grants typically correlate with policy. What do you expect with the change of money allocated for different topics for scientific grants in the USA and globally starting year 2017?
I fully agree with Pierlorenzo. Incidentally we have already had a "revolutionary" Trump style. We managed to survive. In any case we Europeans have or have had not only mad dogs, but also crazy sharks, crazy horses, horses Senators, very intelligent donkeys, geese joyous, very intelligent hens, and above all we have very clever big foxes.
Dear Pierlorenzo and Leonardo, thank you for sharing your opinion. I am not so pessimistic and think that applied research will not decline, but clearly change.
Dear Cecilia, you are more constructive on potential changes. Clearly, research will not cease. It may even grow along some new dimensions. I expect some cut for climate change research and more funding for fossil fuel research, at least in the USA. But I agree with Pierlorenzo that actual changes might be much less than they are proclaimed today.
Political campaign is over, now we will see the reality,
In my opinion nothing spectacular is not going to happen. Less RES? Possible, so what? World is still highly dependent on fossil fuels. RES are very expensive toy. Migrants? Wars? We can not predict, we can just watch.
As Leonardo said: we will survive. As we did so far. In my case, a whole life is a survival, including several wars, hyperinflation, sanctions, bombing, impact of foreign services, corruption, violence on streets, illiterate politicians, ethnic tensions - rocky Balkan region:-)
There is nothing that US president and Government can do - that we will not manage to survive. At least for me, there is nothing what can be even surprising.
Anyway, why we bother so much about politicians et all?
Well, Mirjana, here we are talking not so much about the future policy of US, but on potential changes for scientists. In particular, how will funding evolve over the spectrum of topics.
I am not pessimistic. I do not think that scientists will have harder time to survive over the next 4 years comparing to what was before. But we probably have to be more flexible. And my idea was to collectively predict the directions of this flexibility.
Dear Yuri,
In my opinion, politics need to follow the society needs. Election campaign it's over, and Trump, whatever if he want or not, must to agree economical, political, and all other engagements. Like business man, I'm very positive that he know what it is a contract. After all, a politician stays politician only in electoral campaign. After that moment, he will became an State Man. After all, a politician stays politician only in electoral campaign. After that zero moment, he will became an State Man and, in this new quality I think Trump will be not more flexible but, more realistic.
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