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I've also seen smart people tie themselves into knots trying to defend the original claim.
"He just means big science is expensive."
"He just means that AI can help with data analysis."
"He just means that string theory is a dead end."
But that is not the claim, and the efforts to justify it only make the argument even stranger.
I also have to point out that the most expensive space telescope (JWST) cost about $500 million/year. We spent 1000x that much on AI development in 2025.
Data collection is essential for discovery...and it's remarkably cheap compared to many other things we do routinely.
#science #nature #history #tech
I keep seeing versions of this post, which imply a bizarre misunderstanding of how we know the world.
Do people imagine that if we'd never observed galaxies or neutrinos or exoplanets or the cosmic microwave background, we could have *imagined* these things & that would be just as real?
Or that we've magically reached the point, just now, where we no longer need to observe the world?
Happy Mole Day to all who celebrate.
https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/10/23/moleday/ #science #chemistry #history
An intriguing study of Earth-size planet Trappist-1e was overshadowed this week by Mars news (and...uh, other things).
Most Earth-size planets in our galaxy orbit red dwarf stars. Trappist-1e offers our best chance to learn whether such planets can support life.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-looks-at-earth-sized-habitable-zone-exoplanet-trappist-1-e/ #science #space #nature
Using new adaptive-optics techniques, researchers have created ultra-high resolution images of the Sun's corona--and the results are astonishing.
This video shows "coronal rain": loops of magnetic plasma arching out from the Sun, cooling, and flowing back down.
https://nso.edu/press-release/new-adaptive-optics-shows-stunning-details-of-our-stars-atmosphere/ #space #science #NSF #nature