response from MP re cuts in UK astronomy

[ian_d]

I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone on this forum about the £80million shortfall in UK particle physics and astronomy funding that has been announced of late. :shock:

Anyway, I thought I'd voice my concerns to my local MP - I've posted <a href="http://firstcontactastronomy.blogspot.com/2008/01/doing-my-bit.html">his response on my blog site</a>, which as you'll see was pretty positive.

We can but try, as they say!

Ian

[Baskii]

Good on you Ian. It's a pretty miserable state of affairs when a (comparitively paltry) £80 million shortfall can be allowed to so severely impact UK science. It must be particularly galling for the British scientists who spent time and money designing and building the Gemini North telescopes, only to be denied the chance of using them. I wonder why successive governments seem to have such a short-sighted approach to science (albeit amongst many things)?

In any case, I've been inspired by your example and will write to my local MP - any response will be posted here!

[Andrew1972]

It's barmy. This project has already cost the UK £50m+ so basically that money is totally wasted. It makes a mockery of the government's plans for the UK to be at the forefront of world science.

[supernova]

Northern Rock are doing fine angry9: :D

OH yes they make a profit I forgot sorry.

:x

[Macavity]

Good for you. It's not merely the jobs cuts, but the so-called "natural wastage / early retirement" thing. Not sure whether I fell, or was pushed, but I found conditions personally intolerable in my last years in "science" and was happy to be out of it. Nevertheless, the whole prospect of a further decline in UK science saddens me greatly.

[Sam]

A foreigners perspective:

The UK has been a world leader in the sciences for many hundreds of years and certainly for New Zealanders has always been seen as one of the best places to study and continue research - people like Ernest Rutherford took advantage of that. So it comes as quite a disappointment that the focus on science seems to be dwindling and loosing it's importance in the national psych. It's a shame that a country that has been so important in leading the world for so many years appears to be slipping from it's pedestal. I think if the average person in the street understood the impact of these funding cuts they would be opposed but with our television filled with junk like Big Brother and game shows then there's little scope to increase people's awareness of these issues. You can take solace in that it appears to be a trend throughout the Western democracies.

[Tiny]

On gains the impression that science is moving to places like India and China whereas their best people often came to Europe or the US.