{“topic”: “The Crucial Role of Science in America’s Prosperity and Future”, “body”: “Over the past 80 years, America’s bold, sustained investment in scientific research, and the discoveries, ideas, and innovations that flowed from it have made America a world leader. The nation’s scientific leadership has been essential to our shared prosperity and national security, delivering real benefits for all Americans. The Young American Scientists On June 16, Scientific American veröffentlichte einen Sonderteil mit dem Titel “Die jungen amerikanischen Wissenschaftler.” This section celebrates early-career professionals actively engaged in scientific research and features commentary from MIT faculty. These experts explain why they remain devoted to curiosity-driven science, showcasing how their hard work and dedication make Americans safer, healthier, and more prosperous. The section includes profiles of many MIT faculty, students, and alumni, who share their advice for young scientists and reasons for optimism in uncertain times. The Importance of Curiosity-Driven Research Präsidentin Sally Kornbluth emphasizes the importance of curiosity-driven research, noting that discovery “is part of our American DNA and has yielded vast returns to the citizens of this country and the world.” She adds, “what’s needed is a rededication to public investment in American science. Even if I were not the leader of a premier scientific institution, this is what I’d say. Investing in American science is not a gamble; if you look back in time, there is no question about the benefits.” Institute Prof. Robert Langer adds, “What American science has done over the past 50, 100 years has been remarkable.” Initiatives at MIT Scientific American stellt fest, dass sich am MIT das Bekenntnis zur Forschung in Initiativen wie den folgenden widerspiegelt: Neugier auf einer Mission und die Konsortium zu den Auswirkungen generativer KI. These initiatives aim to find “solutions to real-world problems in a way that is beneficial to society.” “On one hand, we’re at a time, technologically, where things could not be more exciting [and] our science [could not be] more cutting-edge. At the same time, we’ve never seen a situation where people felt so uncertain about the continuity of science funding, particularly when it comes to the basic discovery science that fuels the economy and will fuel societal impact a decade or two from now,” says Kornbluth. The First Sparks Witnessing invention can spark a lifelong fascination with science. After the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, Prof. Alan Lightman “became entranced with the idea of building a rocket” of his own. In his essay “Meine Kindheit in der Welt der Wissenschaft,” Lightman describes how these early scientific memories and experiments have shaped him into a well-rounded writer and physicist. “Now more than ever, when much of the world, including the U.S., has lost its moral compass, leading to a dog-eat-dog mentality, we need science combined with literature, philosophy, history, and art. We need to discover not only the physical world but also our own humanity,” writes Lightman. Likewise, Prof. John Urschel, a former NFL player, emphasizes the importance of collaboration and having a wide range of interests. “A lot of good research happens when people can draw on tools, techniques, and insights from different areas, disciplines, and even fields. I hope we can encourage promising young scientists to establish strong, broad backgrounds and to communicate frequently with those outside their particular areas,” says Urschel. Invention and Discovery Scientific American stellt Studierende und Absolventen vor, die die Welt verbessern wollen – von der Erforschung neurologischer Erkrankungen bis hin zur Sicherung unserer Energiezukunft. Am MIT, Gastwissenschaftlerin Alice Stanton developed miBrain, a 3D tissue model of the human brain, to help scientists develop personalized treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Stanton has developed a miniature version of miBrain, a brain-on-a-chip, to better test therapeutics. Stanton notes “the road to effective treatments is long and bumpy,” compounded by cuts to federal funding. “When we have a loved one who gets sick, we want a treatment—we want something to cure them. It doesn’t come out of thin air,” she explains. Bob Mumgaard Promovierte 2008, CEO von Commonwealth Fusion Systems, arbeitet an der Kommerzialisierung der Fusionsenergie. ‘Ob nun in Bereichen wie der Kernfusion – oder bei maßgeschneiderten Medikamenten für Krankheiten wie Alzheimer und Parkinson oder bei der [Entwicklung von] Materialien, die wir nie für möglich gehalten hätten – unsere Fähigkeit, neue Werkzeuge einzusetzen, um einige dieser großen, komplexen Probleme anzugehen, ist unglaublich spannend“, betont Mumgaard. Doktorand Alex Zhang tackles context rot: the phenomenon when AI language models degrade as they produce more information. To solve this issue, Zhang develops recursive language models (RLMs) that enable the model to work with itself to reevaluate reasoning. “The types of research that I want to work on are things that I think should be shared for the benefit of people in general,” says Zhang. The Benefits of Scientific Collaboration What happens when scientific disciplines join forces at MIT? Prof. Emery Brown hob das MIT hervor Kooperationsnetzwerk für Gesundheit und Biowissenschaften (HEALS), noting that the effort brings together scientists and engineers from a variety of backgrounds to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our times. Brown explains that with President Kornbluth’s support, HEALS encourages “faculty to look more deeply into solving health care problems. The enthusiasm for HEALS has been contagious across the campus.” MIT-Absolventin Lucy Jones, PhD ‘81, known for her work advancing public safety during earthquakes and for developing the first American earthquake drill called the Great ShakeOut, shared the necessity of collaboration in developing scientific solutions for pressing real-world problems. “Solutions have to be done in collaboration, which means spending time with policymakers,” says Jones. Jones also shares how scientific advances in computing have helped make Americans around the country safer when the ground starts to shake. “My first year in grad school, I was reading paper seismograms. Now everything is computerized. We used to do field deployments; now we have permanent networks. We’re starting to use fiber‑optic cables as seismometers,” says Jones. “Computers have changed everything, including science.” The State of American Science Within the profiles, interviewees were asked what needs to change in American science right now. Many expressed concerns with federal funding. “I’m fortunate to work with extraordinary students and postdocs, but the infrastructure that lets them do their best work is under real stress: funding instability at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, immigration uncertainty for international scientists, and an erosion of public trust in expertise,” says Prof. Feng Zhang. Zhang developed CRISPR-based genome editing tools, which could increase our understanding of human diseases and lead to new treatments. “We can lose the lead rapidly if we do not protect our innovation ecosystem,” he says. Positive developments include the progress Prof. Alan Guth in der Kosmologie beobachtet hat. “Mit neuen Techniken sind wir in der Lage, das, was wir beobachten, zu entschlüsseln und zu verstehen”, sagt Guth. “In dieser Hinsicht wurden große Fortschritte erzielt, daher denke ich, dass es in Bezug auf die Physik dieses Fachgebiets hervorragend läuft. Aber für mich ist das eigentliche Problem die Aussicht auf zukünftige Fördermittel.” Langer teilt seinen Glauben an die Beständigkeit und Stärke des amerikanischen Wissenschafts- und Innovationsökosystems. “Wenn ich mir die Geschichte der amerikanischen Innovation und Bildung in den letzten 250 Jahren anschaue, dann war das einfach spektakulär”, sagt Langer. “Es gab zwar immer wieder Rückschläge. Wir hatten Weltkriege, wissen Sie, wir hatten Wirtschaftskrisen …“