Why can't stargazers / astronomers compete for achievement-oriented PRIZES instead of contracts?

~tax leech — 7/8/2004 3:38:55 AM (archived)

Why can't stargazers / astronomers compete for achievement-oriented PRIZES instead of contracts? Can you persuade me that that sort of procurement model wouldn't work in astronomy? But then the tax-leeches among them would get outshined by the true achievers in that field, and their tax-subsidized funding could be jeopardized. It's easier for the justifiably nervous among them to make (feeble) attempts to discredit prize-advocates than it is to confront that challenge, especially in pork-laden frivolous states.

Meanwhile, I've recently seen it posted in this thread that we may as well stop funding universities. In response, can you think of a more oppressive institution than U.S. academia? They have no grasp of the concept of inflation as they continue increating tuition way beyond it. Meanwhile they're mafia-like in their protectionism, seeing to it that the wealthiest 10% maintains control of 70% of the nation's wealth at the expense of taxpayers nationwide. Did you know that medicine and law are UNDERGRADUATE degrees nearly everywhere BUT the USA? Talk about predatory. And to further entrench themselves in their snobby elitist perches, they have this funny anticompetitive institution known as tenure. The justifications for "tenure" are feeble and often highly counter-productive for the supposed purposes that they serve.

The whole thread (63 posts)

Lets take a moment to reflect on the mars rovers, and the 4th of July - R.L. - 7/3/2004 7:33:46 PM
- My observations about the world - John - 7/6/2004 7:21:58 AM
  - One correction - Japan - John - 7/6/2004 7:37:16 AM
- re: Let's try this: Western-style capitalist nations have done more for humanity than the rest of the world put together. - Tom Brosz - 7/6/2004 1:25:53 AM
  - re: Let's try this: Western-style capitalist nations have done more for humanity than the rest of the world put together. - John - 7/6/2004 7:54:24 AM
    - Capitalism and democracy - Tom Brosz - 7/7/2004 11:58:58 PM
- re: Lets take a moment to reflect on the mars rovers, and the 4th of July - Andrew - 7/5/2004 4:38:19 PM
  - Ok, Doug, and andrew... lets play games - R.L. - 7/5/2004 6:46:21 PM
    - R.L., take it from the voice of experience: you're whizzing into the wind here. (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 7/6/2004 12:36:10 AM
    - re: Ok, Doug, and andrew... lets play games - andrew - 7/5/2004 8:53:57 PM
    - re: Ok, Doug, and andrew... lets play games - Doug Ellison - 7/5/2004 7:44:18 PM
- Dr. Robert Zubrin: "In certain ways, Titan is the most hospitable extraterrestrial world within our solar system for human colonization." - ~tax leech - 7/4/2004 6:35:31 PM
  - SHUT UP, YOU BRAINLESS TWIT - R.L. - 7/4/2004 7:46:00 PM
    - Take it easy... - Tom Brosz - 7/4/2004 8:29:54 PM
      - Could be , tom - R.L. - 7/5/2004 7:03:44 AM
        
        R.L., you abusive TAX LEECH, why don't you accept my invitation to fly out here at my expense? COWARD. - ~tax leech - 7/7/2004 1:14:16 AM
        
        You really dont have a clue, do you? - R.L. - 7/7/2004 11:36:09 AM
        
        Are you THAT ashamed that you can't earn a living without us taxpayers? - ~tax leech - 7/7/2004 3:10:03 PM
        
        R.L. if you have a long fuse...it's probably Det Cord. (n/t) - RobVG - 7/5/2004 6:45:28 PM
        
        Rob, that was a top notch zinger - R.L. - 7/5/2004 7:00:44 PM
        
        Awww you all hate me!!!! - R.L. - 7/5/2004 6:52:29 PM
        
        Can we still be friends or are you in jail? (n/t) - RobVG - 7/6/2004 8:26:16 PM
        
        I am ok with the law now - R.L. - 7/7/2004 11:29:29 AM
        
        I apologize. - RobVG - 7/5/2004 7:09:23 PM
        
        Did he need a lawyer's help even as he says lawyers are somhow inferior to his tax-leeching self? - ~tax leech - 7/7/2004 6:17:47 PM
        
        Point that thing somewhere else. - RobVG - 7/7/2004 7:15:41 PM
        
        YES. - Daniel - 7/7/2004 8:22:45 PM
        
        Why can't stargazers / astronomers compete for achievement-oriented PRIZES instead of contracts? - ~tax leech - 7/8/2004 3:38:55 AM
        
        some quick points - - Daniel - 7/8/2004 5:38:27 AM
        
        Academic tenure's thinly veiled PROTECTIONISM. And while inflation's been 35% since 1985, tuition's jumped 300%. - ~tax leech - 7/8/2004 3:27:53 PM
        
        I don't know enough about US universities - Daniel - 7/8/2004 8:48:34 PM
        
        Ya know, that's actually a pretty good post. - RobVG - 7/8/2004 4:31:49 AM
        
        Thanks. BTW, prizes leverage up to 50 times their amount in investment pursuing them. - ~tax leech - 7/8/2004 5:07:31 AM
- re: Science - Raoul - 7/4/2004 2:26:05 PM
  - America's brain transplant from Europe - Gary - 7/4/2004 5:18:28 PM
- re: Lets take a moment to reflect on the mars rovers, and the 4th of July - Doug Ellison - 7/4/2004 11:16:54 AM
  - re: Lets take a moment to reflect on the mars rovers, and the 4th of July - Doug Ellison - 7/4/2004 12:40:21 PM
    - "the rest of the world has done a lot more than you to advance humanity."7 - Buck Galaxy - 7/4/2004 8:57:01 PM
      - re: "the rest of the world has done a lot more than you to advance humanity."7 - Doug Ellison - 7/5/2004 8:37:59 AM
        
        re: "the rest of the world has done a lot more than you to advance humanity."7 - Buck Galaxy - 7/5/2004 6:14:26 PM
        
        Every one is an idiot - r.l. - 7/6/2004 9:07:51 AM
        
        Gee, so many here have accused me of being a right wing hack - R.L. - 7/5/2004 9:21:39 AM
        
        Ok we are gettin silly - R.L. - 7/5/2004 9:12:12 AM
        
        re: Ok we are gettin silly - Doug Ellison - 7/5/2004 9:36:02 AM
        
        Doug, you must be new here - R.L. - 7/5/2004 1:48:07 PM
        
        re: Doug, you must be new here - Doug Ellison - 7/5/2004 4:24:28 PM
        
        Which Brit invented the light bulb? - Robert Clark - 7/5/2004 9:34:19 PM
        
        re: Which Brit invented the light bulb? - Doug Ellison - 7/5/2004 10:55:19 PM
        
        re: Which Brit invented the light bulb? - Nick Hoffman - 7/7/2004 3:57:37 AM
        
        OK, R.L. is a euro hating elitist (n/t) - phil - 7/5/2004 2:36:19 PM
        
        LOL - R.L. - 7/5/2004 2:51:24 PM
- It is remarkable - Donald - 7/3/2004 9:01:16 PM
  - Barry was a pitiful hack... - R.L. - 7/4/2004 2:19:33 AM
    - Barry is a hustler and a liar but he's not nuts - Gary - 7/4/2004 5:56:48 AM
      - The general public has absolutely zero interest in funding manned Mars flight - E.P. Grondine - 7/8/2004 12:08:18 AM
      - The final conclusion to the Levin story has not been written. - Robert Clark - 7/4/2004 12:44:29 PM
        
        Hogwash - Donald - 7/4/2004 5:30:35 PM
        
        What happened to the "inconclusive" view of the Viking life experiments? (n/t) - Robert Clark - 7/5/2004 3:13:30 AM
        
        "Inconclusive?!?" - Donald - 7/5/2004 6:55:40 PM
        
        Inconclusive. - Robert Clark - 7/5/2004 9:16:07 PM
        
        re: And never forget - BRFelix - 7/6/2004 4:00:50 AM
        
        Wishful thinking - Donald - 7/6/2004 4:32:36 AM
        
        re: Closed minds - BRFelix - 7/6/2004 4:53:16 AM

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