Unreal:
slate.com/blogs/bad_astronom … _gain.html
“Scientific discovery is not valuable unless it has commercial value,” -John McDougall, president of the NRC,
Might as well scrap the Canadian Space Agency too and forget about Chris Hadfield despite the fact that he inspired thousands of young people in our country.
ummm isn’t Harper and gang anti-science? sort of like the Republican party in the US
Muzzling scientists is cringe worthy. Harper must be defeated at the next federal election. It is time Mulcair and Trudeau work with May co-operatively and run just one candidate against each sitting Conservative. Set aside egos and save the nation.
I haven’t kept up with the cabinet shuffles, but is the Minister of State for Science & Technology still a Creationist? That might explain some of it.
If it weren’t were research funding from the government, two of the student research positions I’ve held would not have been possible. I’ve been lucky that these positions are in fields of research that have commercial value so I guess these employers will continue to employ students in the future.
A lot of my friends depend on research grants so they can work in an academic lab, not just volunteer in one. Not everyone can afford to work for free when there are bills, rent, and tuition to pay. The experience at an academic lab is far more valuable than working a full time summer job at a local starbucks, especially if you intend to pursue a career in that field of research; competition in science related work is high with decreasing job availabilities.
Just my two cents with a student in science perspective.