This is not a political debate – it is a fight for the survival of our future as an advanced society. All readers of the site should be expected to understand this and speak out against the damage to the scientific infrastructure. The damage of deleting repositories and laying off employees will cause a huge setback in many areas..
In recent decades, since World War II, humanity has made many achievements: from vaccines to diseases that killed millions of people, such as smallpox, technology has advanced rapidly, and with each decade the speed of communication and the amount of information processed increases tenfold. We have learned how to use the Internet. We already reached the moon in the 1960s, and now space flights are becoming cheap and there is already talk of returning to the moon and even flying to Mars, with private industry also entering the field with full force. Only in recent years have we become acquainted with the artificial intelligence revolution.
Until World War II, the main country where scientific research was conducted was Germany, and many journals were in German. After the defeat, and the flight of tens of thousands of scientists to the United States and a small number to Russia, Germany became a relatively marginal power. The center shifted to the West as research at public and private universities produced hundreds of Nobel Prize winners who changed every area of our lives for the better. Such a list would take up an entire article, if not more.
The Nobel Prize is awarded for groundbreaking achievements in medicine, chemistry, physics, as well as in the less relevant fields of peace, literature, and economics.
Some of the discoveries that have changed our lives in the most significant way include: the discovery of penicillin (1945, Alexander Fleming Nobel Prize in Medicine), the discovery of DNA as a double-stranded structure (1962, James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, Nobel Prize in Medicine); the development of the laser (1964, Nobel Prize in Physics to Charles Townes, Nikolai Basov and Alexander Prokhorov); the development of lithium-ion fuel cells (2019, Nobel Prize in Chemistry to John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino), the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation (1978, Nobel Prize in Physics to Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson) and of course the development of messenger RNA-based vaccines (2023, Nobel Prize in Medicine to Katelin Crick and Drew Wiseman).
Many of the research that won the Nobel Prize not only enriched human knowledge, but also sparked technological and medical revolutions that directly impacted the daily lives of millions of people.
Research has become international as China and the European Union have recently increased their investments in basic science. The world of science has become tripolar. The European Union is even considering encouraging American researchers to research in Europe. Based on research excellence.
But just when the positive trend was at its peak, the United States – once a world leader in research and innovation – decided to take giant steps backwards. The current Trump administration is pursuing a policy of significantly reducing science budgets, closing laboratories, deleting vital research data, and replacing scientific facts with politically motivated conspiracy theories. This is not a purely political issue, but a direct attack on the foundations of human progress.
People not directly involved in science may not understand how serious these steps are, so it is important to present the facts and expose their dangers. We will now detail the implications of the Trump administration’s latest moves, explain how they endanger the future of humanity, and suggest ways to convince people to understand that science is above politics.
1. Deletion of research data – deletion of scientific history
One of the most brutal ways to destroy science is to delete decades of accumulated scientific data. The Trump administration, driven by an anti-science ideology, has removed thousands of databases from federal servers that contained critical data on climate, public health, and environmental pollution.
Examples: Critical Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) information on carbon emissions has disappeared without a trace from the official website. Federal documents on epidemics have been removed from public access, making it difficult for researchers to prepare for future outbreaks. More than 1,600 links to government websites with climate change data have also become unavailable.
Why is this dangerous?
When research data is deleted, it cannot be accurately reconstructed. This information is essential for researchers, policymakers, and industries that rely on it to develop solutions to global problems.
2. Closing research laboratories – crushing scientific innovation
While other countries like China and the European Union are investing hundreds of billions in research and development, the United States is going in the opposite direction. As part of the recent cuts, research laboratories in critical fields such as physics, biotechnology, and climate research have been closed.
Examples: In the past two months, at least 35 national laboratories have closed, including medical centers that researched infectious diseases. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory lost 70% of its budget, leading to the closure of green energy projects. The closure of vaccine research centers could lead to a decade-long delay in the development of new vaccines. In particular, it is worth noting that a universal flu vaccine was within reach and has now been canceled, both in the government and in the universities that received research funds.
Why is this dangerous?
When labs close, not only do researchers lose their jobs, but the expertise and knowledge they have gained is also lost. In science, research that has been stalled for years can lose value due to a lack of continuity in experiments and data.
3. Direct attack on researchers and spread of disinformation, presenting science as a political enemy
Trump and his administration have publicly attacked the scientific community, portraying scientists as promoting a “political agenda.” For example, Trump claimed in an interview that “climate scientists are opportunists trying to control the economy.” Scientists who called for preserving research funds have received threats and been forced to resign. Opinion polls have shown that public trust in scientists has fallen by 30% since 2016 due to the echoing of anti-science claims on social media.
Why is this dangerous?
When scientists are portrayed as enemies of the people, people stop listening to them and prefer "alternative facts" that are based on ideology rather than data.
While this article was being prepared for publication, news was received that half of the US Department of Education's employees had been cut. This figure includes all education researchers, so decisions will now be made for political reasons and without a scientific basis.
4. Harm to public health – real consequences for human life
The damage to science does not remain at the laboratory level – it directly affects public health.
Discontinuation of federal vaccination programs has increased the incidence of diseases such as measles and influenza. Research cuts have led to the halt of trials developing new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that if the trend continues, the US could become a hotbed of new epidemics due to a lack of control and knowledge.
Why is this dangerous?
When medical science is compromised, human lives are immediately at risk. The modern world relies on medical research to develop vaccines, drugs, and advanced medical procedures.
5. Economic impact – the future is in danger
What is the connection between science and economics? Scientific research leads to technological developments that drive the economy, and harming them leaves the United States behind.
R&D cuts have hurt technology companies, leading to a decline in U.S. competitiveness.
Some fear that the loss of American experts to other countries is due to a lack of investment in research.
Why is this dangerous?
Without scientific innovation, the US will become dependent on foreign technologies and lose its position as the world's leading economy.
Why should any sane person object??
The Trump administration’s science policies are not “conservative” or “Republican” – they are simply destructive to every conceivable field. When data is erased, labs are closed, researchers are attacked, and critical budgets are cut, the impact is on all of us – right and left, Democrats and Republicans, rich and poor.
This is not a political debate – it is a fight for the survival of our future as a progressive society. The question is: will we rise up and act to stop this – or will we succumb to the bullying and straw arguments of blind admirers of powerful rulers and let history roll back?
More of the topic in Hayadan:
One response
"This is not a political debate – it is a fight for the survival of our future as a progressive society"!
Struggles will only get worse! This is the nature of the world that everyone refuses to see! I've been saying this for years, ""Progress leads to advancement""!!!