Reader,

Here’s a minor headline I saw Friday morning in the South China Morning Post. China Offers 15-Year Research Grants to the World’s Brightest Young Scientists.

It was a rather short article, but this line caught my attention: “China is offering the world’s brightest young scientists generous 15-year research grants for free exploration, as the country accelerates its drive to become a global science powerhouse.” (emphasis mine)

Here are a couple of key points:

• This is for scientists under 35 years old.
• The performance metrics is straightforward: spend time in the laboratory.
• Funding will double after five years and double again after ten.

Now, think about this. Not too long ago we dismissed China as worthy of manufacturing our cool stuff, not as leading edge thinkers. We “knew” they could only copy our great stuff.

Hold that thought for a moment.

I also saw an article about BYD’s YangWang U9. It’s an EV and broke the 300 mph barrier earlier this month in Germany. Designed and made in China. Not Germany. Not the U.S.

So, it looks like “they” don’t just copy us anymore and their “drive to become a global science powerhouse” just might be real.

But why should we worry!? We’re the leader of everything in the world! Just ask out political cheerleaders.

So, here are some “uh-oh” considerations.

• The current administration has proposed a 50% reduction in funding for the National Science Foundation.
• The current administration has terminated or frozen 7,800 science grants.
• The current administration has terminated 100+ federal scientific advisory committees.

Now, I grant you that there is some wasted funding out there. However, I firmly believe that too much of this pruning is politically oriented and very short-sighted.

China seems to be intent on “intercepting the future.” We seem to be intent on thinking about past glories and reinvigorating coal mining.

It’s sad to watch a champion go soft.

Bill