Science in the air

I spent most of a plane flight yesterday reading the 12/23/05 issue of Science. Generally I do not take the time to sit down and read the magazines that come poring into my house every month, so as a captive audience of sorts, I was determined to read the whole damn thing. I didn't read every word, but I was pretty thorough. There were some interesting things in there.
Having gotten my PhD in experimental particle physics and then chosen to enter industry rather than stay in academia, I felt somewhat vindicated upon seeing Adrian Cho's article on U.S. Particle Physics as the "Breakdown of the Year." It seems that physicists have once again run up against the "wisdom" of government budgets that invest in the first half of a project and then cut and run. I'm...I'm getting flashbacks to...to 1993...when Congress decided to axe the Superconducting Super Collider after investing...HOW MUCH?? I was shocked to learn that BTeV had been cancelled - I thought anything Fermilab touched was golden. If you want the complete story of why this was a stupid decision stupidly made, check out this statement issued by the (former) collaboration. How heartbreaking to have joined a new collaboration/experiment because the funding for your old collaboration/experiment got cut, and then see the new collaboration/experiment get its funding cut! I don't know for sure, but I think that happened to some of the BTeV scientists.

Don't get me wrong - I want nothing but large budgets and success for those still in the field, but sometimes it's hard to stomach feeling like a second-class citizen of the APS. Most of the society's activities are geared towards academia. They couldn't even maintain publication of The Industrial Physicist, a monthly magazine that made me feel less like a nobody in the physics community. I don't think I made the wrong decision, but seeing the woes of U.S. particle physicists makes me a little happier with the route I chose.