On the grapevine
When science is beholden to politics
In Australia, the state is increasingly determining what type of research is desirable, while in Russia, the science system is gradually being cut off from the rest of the world.
Image: zVg
Jodie Bradby, the current President of the Australian Institute of Physics, spoke to The Sidney Morning Herald about how Australian politicians are deciding more and more just what kind of research should get funded. Funding for maths, physics and chemistry has been reduced by 37 percent since 1996, for example.
Image: Keystone
The French biologist Patrick Lemaire has carried out a non-representative survey of researchers in Russia, asking them about their views on Western sanctions. Many said they would support them in principle, but many also felt “betrayed by the world with which they have been happily and willingly cooperating”.
