Stanford physics lab to lay off workers, cut research

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

Palo Alto, Calif. (AP) -- The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is planning to cut back research and lay off about 125 employees because of an unexpected reduction in federal spending on physics research.

It will be the largest layoff in the history of SLAC, which is considered one of the country's top physics research labs.

The lab had expected to receive $120 million in federal funding for high-energy physics, but only got $95 million after Congress cut the budget increase for the Department of Energy's Office of Science.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/10/state/n141145S27.DTL&tsp=1

[jody]

1. We need a science-based, not faith-based, president. n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Meanwhile, 100 million was earmarked for studying an

image of Jesus in the clouds that someone was sure they had seen last year.

[Thor_MN]

3. This irks me, but you have to admit

when they say they are laying off a bunch of SLACers, it does sound a little funny.

I can't wait to get rid of the "back to the good old dark ages" crowd.

[Honeycombe8]

4. If they switch to studying creationism, I bet the money will started flowing in. nt

[kurth]

5. Okay, "physicists confirmed the Big Bang", and that's all we needed to know

Time to close the shop.

[harmonicon]

6. *sigh* and so it begins....

... even though the US has had far from the highest per capita GDP, quality healthcare, education, etc., we did often have the best, if only it could be afforded. I fear that this is just the beginning of a brain drain from our great universities. We've had a massive influx of the best researchers from around the world to these schools and institutes for decades. If the funding is cut, that will stop, and we are all the poorer for it.

It's only anecdotal evidence (and isn't as applicable, because I'm not in the sciences), but I moved to England last year to be a postgraduate researcher toward a Ph.d. There just weren't any schools in the US that seemed to have interesting departments, and/or couldn't provide me the funding to make it worth my while. I may not be an oddball in this respect if these things keep happening, to say nothing about the foreigners who would have come to the US.

[salib]

7. This is to be expected.

Several trends have been conspiring:
1. Bush has moved a great deal of funding from NSF (physical sciences) to NIH (life sciences), especially because of a very keen interest in cancer research on his part
2. Overall, High-Energy Physics has moved off-shore since the fiasco of the SSC (Superconducting Super Collider), of which I have personal experience
3. SLAC and the "B-Factory" were the best short-term hedges against losing nearly all High-Energy research in this country. It's work is done and there has not been a compelling enough justification to do more at that location.

Right there are enough reasons that are unrelated to the current fiscal crises we face. I suspect this move is not driven by the larger factors of the economy, idiocy of "faith-based" everything, nor by unreasonable scientific decisions.

We, in the High-Energy field doomed ourselves back in the early 90's by lying about the true cost of the SSC (at least those who really planned and estimated the costs). Allowing it to go long enough that 4.5 Billion were already committed, and thus Congress (and others) got pissed. Most of us were just along for the ride.

[UndauntedD]

10. Agreed

I'm Stanford Physics, and even though I haven't worked at SLAC, we all know that there's no much more to be done there. With the LHC data coming in soon... SLAC was an antique a while ago.

Like you said, this doesn't have to be a part of Bush's anti-science agenda or a newer "fiscal" policy. It's reasonable.

[CGowen]

8. 125 possible new recruits n/t

[Javaman]

9. And so it began...

darkness fell across the land as reason receded to zealotry...

sadly, to be continued...

[madrchsod]

11. there`s a 200 million cut at fermi lab in illinois

before hastret took care of the funding but as soon as he resigned the money was cut. durbin now is going to attach funding to the defense bill and boxer or fienstien should do the same.

[murielm99]

12. My son works there.

He is worried.