Summary
Trump plans to eliminate NIST’s Atomic Spectroscopy Group, which maintains crucial atomic measurement data used globally in fields like nuclear fusion and astronomy.
The Atomic Spectra Database, relied on by scientists and engineers, may be at risk, sparking backlash from researchers and lawmakers.
Critics warn that cutting the group will harm scientific progress and U.S. leadership in technology.
Representative Zoe Lofgren condemned the move as uninformed and potentially harmful to national security. A petition to save the group has gathered over 1,700 signatures.
Neo-cons: Man, I wish we could just liquidate the entire country.
MMT: We’ve been looking at the national debt all wrong. It’s not a burden, it’s a measure of all the assets in the country. The only way to “pay off” the national debt would be to liquidate the entire country.
Neo-cons: Repeat that last part? … Guys, I have an idea. I really, really care about the national debt. It’s a big problem. We gotta solve it. Who’s with me?