Tim Clancy

@archstreet
176 Followers
290 Following
567 Posts

Arch Street=making connections in science, cybersecurity & innovation. Environment, upstate NY, science & tech policy everywhere.

Former NSF congressional affairs and House Science Committee.

Academic interests include human trust and norms, cybersecurity law and policy, and critical infrastructure policy.

Warning: Occasional Boston Celtics musings

Webhttps://viewfromarchstreet.com/
He/him
LocationAlexandria, VA
Tim ClancyOct 7, 2024
A study of nearly 400,000 scientists across 38 countries finds that one-third of them quit science within five years of authoring their first paper, and almost half leave within a decade. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03222-7
Nearly 50% of researchers quit science within a decade, huge study reveals

Twenty years of publishing data across many countries and disciplines show women are more likely than men to leave research.

Tim ClancyMay 23, 2024

White House Report Paints Dire Picture of U.S. Research Infrastructure

https://ww2.aip.org/fyi/white-house-report-paints-dire-picture-of-u-s-research-infrastructure

White House Report Paints Dire Picture of U.S. Research Infrastructure

Many federal research facilities are operating beyond their planned lifespan and are in poor condition, according to a new cross-agency assessment.

AIP
Tim ClancyMay 21, 2024
How Can Philosophy Help NASA Explore the Cosmos? https://asu.zoom.us/webinar/register/1017159688088/WN_mOd3CaBiQNOtzYFK3EeWnQ?t=1716316899972
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: How Can Philosophy Help NASA Explore the Cosmos?. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

After the success of the Apollo missions in landing men on the moon more than 50 years ago, humans have not left low Earth orbit. Changing political directives, myriad technical options, and limited budgets have left NASA struggling to articulate and achieve a coherent strategy for human deep space missions. In a recent essay for Issues, G. Ryan Faith notes that many of the larger dilemmas that NASA grapples with are as philosophical as they are practical: “Why go to the expense and danger of sending humans into space at all, rather than working with robots? Is there an inherent value to human presence in space? And if so, what is it? Is the scientific benefit commensurate with the added cost and risk?” Faith calls on the space agency to engage more deeply with questions of values and purpose. “NASA needs to embrace philosophy,” he argues, “so that it can better explain what it is doing and why to the public and itself.” On Thursday, June 6, at 2:30PM ET, join G. Ryan Faith, Daniel E. Hastings, Tony Milligan, Erica Rodgers, and Marcia Smith to discuss how philosophy can help NASA consider humanity’s future in space and develop its vision for exploring the cosmos.

Zoom
Tim ClancyMay 9, 2024
Why Engineers Should Study Philosophy https://hbr.org/2024/04/why-engineers-should-study-philosophy
Why Engineers Should Study Philosophy

The ability to develop crisp mental models around the problems you want to solve and understanding the why before you start working on the how is an increasingly critical skill, especially in the age of AI. Coding is one of the things AI does best and its capabilities are quickly improving. However, there’s a catch: Code created by an AI can be syntactically and semantically correct but not functionally correct. In other words, it can work well, but not do what you want it to do. Having a crisp mental model around a problem, being able to break it down into steps that are tractable, perfect first-principle thinking, sometimes being prepared (and able to) debate a stubborn AI — these are the skills that will make a great engineer in the future, and likely the same consideration applies to many job categories.

Harvard Business Review
Tim ClancyMay 7, 2024
Large-scale battery technology is expanding rapidly across the U.S. electric bulk power system. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/07/climate/battery-electricity-solar-california-texas.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qE0.S0Tq.QDMWrkaueqc8&smid=url-share
Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity

They’re delivering solar power after dark in California and helping to stabilize grids in other states. And the technology is expanding rapidly.

The New York Times
Tim ClancyMar 8, 2024

“I was trying to find a year that was worse than that in the [NSF]'s history and couldn't find one.”

Pleased to be featured in this week's National Journal, I just wish we were talking about a great outcome for #science, not one of the worst.

https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/724402/a-compromise-congress-steps-back-on-big-science-promises-in-funding-bill/?unlock=U806UL9TE43UCA8U

‘A compromise’: Congress steps back on big science promises in funding bill

Spending deal cuts NASA, National Science Foundation funding.

National Journal
Tim ClancyMar 6, 2024

It was the worst budget cycle for the National Science Foundation in it's 74-year history.

Worst. Ever.

https://www.science.org/content/article/final-u-s-spending-bills-offer-gloomy-outlook-science

Tim ClancyMar 5, 2024
By my calculation, NSF core research (RRA, non-TIP) is down sharply -- 17% -- from 2021 after inflation and ignoring the doubling of TIP last year. https://www.science.org/content/article/final-u-s-spending-bills-offer-gloomy-outlook-science
Tim ClancyMar 4, 2024
One of the worst NSF appropriations cycles in recent memory. 8% cut in research. 15% cut in education. Facilities up 25%. https://ww2.aip.org/fyi/fy2024-national-science-foundation
FY2024 NSF Budget and Appropriations - AIP.ORG

FY2024 National Science Foundation Budget Request and Appropriations

AIP
Tim ClancyMar 1, 2024
Bill comes due for capital-intensive projects at NSF, likely at the cost of a major leading-edge telescope. https://ww2.aip.org/fyi/nsf-likely-to-drop-one-of-two-giant-telescopes-from-consideration-for-construction-funds
NSF Likely to Drop One of Two Giant Telescopes From Consideration for Construction Funds

NSF’s board anticipates the agency will not have enough funds to support construction of both the TMT and GMT, which are competing against an array of other proposed infrastructure projects.

AIP