Trump's contempt for science will cost us in many ways
By Sid Schwab
Herald columnist
“The United States must be prepared for a future in which its traditional technological predominance faces new, perhaps unprecedented challenges.” That’s from a report produced by the Center for a New American Security, about China’s efforts in quantum computing.
Which, far as one can tell, has something to do with harnessing subatomic particles (“quantum bits,” or “qubits”) for highly complex computations conventional computers can’t handle, including becoming un-hackable. Jonathan Dowling, a physics professor at Louisiana State University who also professes in Shanghai, predicts that in two years China will “go dark,” as their systems become impenetrable. Security implications are obvious.
It’s said quantum computers will be to current computers as current computers are to the abacus. There’s potential to revolutionize development of new drugs against diseases, for one thing; and to create, well, a quantum leap in artificial intelligence. Full realization is several years away; but China is pulling ahead of the U.S. Last year, China filed for twice as many related patents. Their government is pouring billions into research, as well as offering juicy incentives to Chinese-born scientists who leave the U.S. to return home. In addition, they’re paying U.S. scientists handsomely to spend time there.
Assuming we survive his homicidal climate-change denial, the future implications of the U.S. attitude toward science under Trump are clear. Cutting funding for research to pay for tax cuts; deleting mention of climate change from U.S. Geological Survey press releases; preventing government scientists from publishing their findings regarding it, or of harmful effects of chemicals Trump has unregulated. Several examples of which have been learned recently, as scientists resigned their government positions in protest.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-trumps-contempt-for-science-will-cost-us-in-many-ways/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=30c04ba12c-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-30c04ba12c-228635337
= new reply since forum marked as read
