> the council’s leaders said it was aiming to reduce its overall spending by £162 million by the end of the decade, including a £38 million reduction for facilities and labs.
Especially maddening considering how small the target savings are in the grand scheme of government spending...
Basically the core of the issue is that the UK govermnent yearly expenditures on various facilities like 'Diamond source' synchrotron, payment for the CERN membership etc are higher due to inflation, exchange rates, electricity costs, and the STFC/UKRI's answer to this is to cut the grants for researchers by 30%. A particularly idiotic solution given that many people from US are looking for other places. Also what's the point of having facilities without people to use them.
I'm reminded of an episode of Yes Minister with an empty hospital. The hospital has a full complement of administrative staff but no physicians or patients.
You'd think that, given their mantra of "growth, growth, growth" they'd invest in research and development, but this government couldn't plan a new year's bash if they tried.
> the council’s leaders said it was aiming to reduce its overall spending by £162 million by the end of the decade, including a £38 million reduction for facilities and labs.
Especially maddening considering how small the target savings are in the grand scheme of government spending...
Or one and a half bat tunnels. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dep92x054o
(ok, I'm cheating by comparing capex to opex, but still)
Or 0.028% of the net worth of Musk.
I will never understand the fascination with comparing equity to cash flow. Very illiquid and speculative equity, at that.
Basically the core of the issue is that the UK govermnent yearly expenditures on various facilities like 'Diamond source' synchrotron, payment for the CERN membership etc are higher due to inflation, exchange rates, electricity costs, and the STFC/UKRI's answer to this is to cut the grants for researchers by 30%. A particularly idiotic solution given that many people from US are looking for other places. Also what's the point of having facilities without people to use them.
I'm reminded of an episode of Yes Minister with an empty hospital. The hospital has a full complement of administrative staff but no physicians or patients.
Here's a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyf97LAjjcY
You'd think that, given their mantra of "growth, growth, growth" they'd invest in research and development, but this government couldn't plan a new year's bash if they tried.
Get a grip physicists, the triple lock won't pay for itself.
We can't be spending our hard taxed money for science and other redundant vanity projects.
We have motability cars to fund and house visits at 2m mansions to arrange.