Nature Poll Predicts U.S. Brain Drain, 75% of Scientists Could Leave

NATURE POLLED SCIENTISTS AND FOUND 75% OF THEM MAY LEAVE U.S. IN SUPER BRAIN DRAIN

Actions have consequences, and those can come in obvious reactions. We’re beginning to see a few of those politically and economically with the current Trump Administration. But it’s still shocking to see that Trump’s war on science -or on scientists themselves- is planting the seeds of a super brain drain the likes the world hasn’t seen in the last century, or ever. A recent poll conducted by the scientific journal Nature asked over 1,200 scientists a simple question: does Trump’s gutting of scientific funding make them consider it would be better to leave the U.S.? Stunningly, the answer for 75% of those polled was: YES.=

EVEN WORSE, THIS SUPER BRAIN DRAIN POLL WAS OF SCIENTISTS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREER

The poll also asked the scientists where they would possibly go, and the top to answers were Canada and Europe. One scientist made it even simpler, with “anywhere that supports science.” That simple answer actually makes me even more nervous with these poll results. Because if your life’s work can’t happen in the U.S., you will pursue your life’s work with likeminded peers anywhere else you can. Even more troubling, 548 of the 690 postgraduate researchers are thinking of leaving, and 255 of 340 PhD students as well. That means scientists at the beginning of their careers could leave the U.S. all at once. That could be a multi-generational brain drain America can’t afford.

An Exodus Of Star Academics to Canada Has Started

IT’S CLEAR TO ALMOST ALL SCIENTISTS THAT THE U.S. ISN’T A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM ANYMORE

And to be fair, when graduate students are being harassed, arrested and deported for nothing more than advocating for basic human rights in Israel, it’s hard to feel safe conducting research that may offend a company (think: Big Pharma or Big Oil) or friend of Donald Trump (or Elon Musk). So a brain drain of some large or super level seems all but inevitable at this point. And unfortunately for us, there are a lot of countries and companies around the world who will be all too happy to take advantage. This will affect America in a bad way for decades to come.

You can read more about the Nature poll and lament this otherwise totally avoidable scenario.