Re:Why the United States has the best research universities
by joe_the_user on Friday April 16, 2021 @09:35PM
(#26840893)
Your point is the most salient of the comments imo. And better than the self-congratulatory article.
US science benefited from a huge influx of European scientists and then sustained itself with large scale grants motivated by the cold war.
The US doesn't have great academic freedom but reasonable academic freedom compared to many places and US achievement is the gold standard for many things in many places so a lot of the best people come here and indeed, sacrifice to be here even as lots of money flows into universities - allowing that money to be effective even when some portion flows into pork also.
It's paradoxical which allows things to seem "better than ever" and "worse than ever" simultaneously.
US science benefited from a huge influx of European scientists and then sustained itself with large scale grants motivated by the cold war.
The US doesn't have great academic freedom but reasonable academic freedom compared to many places and US achievement is the gold standard for many things in many places so a lot of the best people come here and indeed, sacrifice to be here even as lots of money flows into universities - allowing that money to be effective even when some portion flows into pork also.
It's paradoxical which allows things to seem "better than ever" and "worse than ever" simultaneously.