It feels tone-deaf to launch into pure science in this Substack when we’ve had one of the largest assaults on science in my lifetime. For instance, just yesterday the administration moved to restrict entry to the US for international students going to Harvard, directly following a broader travel ban affecting our department. At the same time, I don’t want to turn this into a polemic. So, I won’t. Instead, I’ll tell you about what people are feeling. If you want to know more, Doug Natelson’s blog Nanoscale Views (a Rice Professor closely following developments at NSF), reporting from the New York Times, and the reporting in Science magazine are all good sources.

One prominent feeling is anger: fury toward travel bans, the detaining of international researchers, canceled funding, and rhetoric promising more. As stated by our vice president: “Universities in our country are fundamentally corrupt and dedicated to deceit and lies, not to the truth. […] They pursue deceit and lies.”1 This denigration and these attacks create a climate of fear, especially for those who are most vulnerable: the students.

When I decided to pursue a graduate degree in physics, I did so because I wanted to understand how the universe works in the language of physics and mathematics. Graduate school is stressful, and often, the introduction to research can be a sharp transition for people; suddenly, the problems may not have solutions, or they might be way more complicated than you (or your advisor) anticipated. Our country has been known for its research culture and its excellent universities worldwide, and that has attracted, to the US, talent from across the globe. I personally know scientists from all continents which I met while they were attending or working at US institutions. Even before these recent policies, getting a visa was incredibly stressful for international researchers. Now, they are afraid to exercise their First Amendment rights2 and anxious about leaving and re-entering the US. Uncertain visa conditions disrupt their lives, hindering their ability to travel, share results, and fully participate in science.

There is also concern among faculty that the National Science Foundation will no longer be a reliable source of funding if the presidential budget is adopted. Already, divisions are being abolished or restructuring to focus on funding research in artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology, nuclear energy, or translational science3. Research into materials and high-energy physics could come to a sudden halt. This has many rattled, and we fund our research groups with federal research grants. If we lose that, we lose the ability to fund our students and postdocs4. Even temporary interruptions have this human cost in addition to devastating entire projects.

We hear all the moves against us at universities5, and it hits, creating an atmosphere of anger and fear. I am sad and disappointed as well. Countries are trying to entice away US scientists. France and the EU are already allocating funds and are already hiring US scientists. China directly offered a deal to a Nobel laureate affected by US cuts (he declined). I have heard genuine sentiments from people considering leaving the US. After elections, some might half-jokingly talk about leaving. But this time, it’s different. Researchers fear losing their careers and see moving as a real option to continue innovating. And how can the US compete with any other country if we lose our researchers? We won’t develop the next touch screens and lithium-ion batteries, nor find the next cure for tuberculosis, innovations born at US universities.

I hope those in charge walk us back from the edge and support the center of science in the world: US universities and the people who work here. In the meantime, call your representatives and senators. Tell them clearly: cutting NSF funding directly harms America’s scientific leadership. The American Physical Society’s advocacy webpage can guide you. Pay attention locally, too, as some states (like Indiana) are considering similar harmful measures.

Scientists, professors, graduate students, and researchers are not, in any sense, the enemy. We are part of what makes America great.

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