The hottest Science Funding Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

China has invented a whole new way to do innovation

Noahpinion • 18765 implied HN points • 04 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Science Funding
  1. Innovation is a pipeline that moves from broad scientific ideas to specific sellable products, with universities, government labs, corporate R&D, and manufacturers each playing different roles and often handing work off across countries.
  2. China has built a highly vertically integrated, state-coordinated “whole-nation” system that links funding, research, and industry to control the entire innovation chain from basic science to commercialization.
  3. That system has produced huge R&D spending, rising high-quality scientific output, manufacturing dominance, and growing licensing revenues, meaning China is turning research money into marketable technologies faster and reshaping global tech competition.

The new standard of scientific evidence: “Many Scientists Believe”

Heterodox STEM • 348 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Science Funding
  1. Using 'many scientists believe' as proof is not the same as presenting hard evidence, and for issues like whether the polar jet stream is weakening the clear observational data is limited or inconclusive.
  2. Much climate reasoning depends on open-loop computer models that aren't validated the way engineering models are. Funding and media incentives can push scientists to emphasize more alarming model results.
  3. Political and funding pressures can distort scientific priorities and public messaging, so consensus and authority shouldn't replace testable evidence. Real scientific progress often overturns majority views, so skepticism and empirical testing must stay central.

What's Behind Trump's War on Science?

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 731 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Science Funding
  1. The Trump administration cut science funding significantly, with research funding dropping drastically in many fields. This has created a crisis for the National Science Foundation.
  2. The slow distribution of research funds is linked to both incompetence and a focus on politically favored themes. This shows a lack of value for basic research.
  3. Overall, this issue reflects broader problems with populism, where anger can lead to harm without clear targets, often causing more chaos than resolution.

Gaia Network: An Illustrated Primer

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Science Funding
  1. The Gaia Network aims to improve science by making research more efficient and accountable.
  2. The Gaia Network can assist in funding science by providing quantitative impact metrics for awarding prizes and helping funders make informed decisions.
  3. Gaia Network serves as a distributed oracle for decision-making, aiding in a wide range of practical applications from farming operations to strategic planning and AI safety.

The Fauci Paradox

A Biologist's Guide to Life • 63 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Science Funding
  1. The Fermi Paradox suggests that the lack of contact with extraterrestrial life may be due to specific probabilities hindering civilizations' advancement.
  2. Nuclear weapons and diseases are identified as vulnerabilities to human civilization, posing potential threats to societal stability.
  3. The Fauci Paradox highlights the need for closer regulation and oversight in scientific research to prevent catastrophic risks that could endanger humanity.
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