Previously I wrote about "the Science Bubble".  Since then, there has been good news, and bad.
The good news is that apparently Speaker Pelosi has been recorded as noting that Science will be emphasized in the stimulus package.  I do hope that happens, and I hope that if it does happen, it is done in a sustainable and thoughtful way - not just a bunch of "let's throw money at scientists" followed by an even bigger bust later.

But the bad news strikes closer to home.  My campus has now suspended a number faculty searches that were previously ongoing.  We are joining a growing list of universities that have decided to suspend searches.  This is not an outright cancellation.  Currently the word here is that it is just a temporary suspension until things "improve".  My big question: will they?

Let's look at one simple chart:

(from http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/crisis-explained-one-chart-debt-gdp/11570)
That chart is debt-to-gdp ratio.  Notice something lately?

And, the problem for universities is that states cannot create money out of thin air like the feds do.  With rapidly growing unemployment, many states are getting hit, very hard.  This translates immediately and directly to reductions in funding for state-supported universities - and hence faculty positions.

I'll be working on my next installment of the Science Bubble article.  It seems the time for new ways of approaching the problem is NOW.