America’s War on Science is Over

New Scientist reports the Obama Administration has pumped more cash into science and technology than at any other time in history — including the Apollo space program and the Manhattan nuclear bomb project.
US$50B alone is going into renewable power and energy efficiency. Obama was likely thrown into the dark during the Great Blackout of 2006 and knows the electrical grid hasn’t received an upgrade in design in 100 years. The “string a wire when you need it” approach has created a massive chain of weak links, links that broke down three years ago.
During Obama’s inauguration speech, he took a clear swipe at The Luddite Bush and his religion-fueled anti-science ways:
We will restore science to its rightful place…
- U.S. President Barack Obama, January 20th, 2009
While scientists will benefit the most from this, the editorial points out they’ll also get the blame if they misspend or underdeliver.
Source: Obama goes ‘all in’ for science, New Scientist

Quick! To the (incredibly expensive) Obamacopter!

U.S. President Barack Obama apparently isn’t too pleased with his new pimped-out ride.

The Lockheed Martin VH-71 (VH1 must have been taken already) cost the American taxpayer more than $1.5B and is essentially a hovering Oval Office much like Air Force One — in both capability and cost.
As Obama prepares to spend his way out of the worst recession since the Great Depression, the commander-in-chief acknowledges the last bird would probably have been just fine:
The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me.  (Laughter.)  Of course, I’ve never had a helicopter before — (laughter) — maybe I’ve been deprived and I didn’t know it.  (Laughter.) But I think it is a — it is a — an example of the procurement process gone amuck.  And we’re going to have to fix it. – Barack Obama, Fiscal Responsibility Summit, Feb 23/09
The VH-71 was chosen to replace the Sikorsky series, a chopper used these days by the U.S. Marines only for troop transport and humanitarian work. The 28 VH71s ordered by the U.S. military will cost the taxpayer more than $11B, a decision made during the Bush Administration.
Obama may also be interested in pulling the plug because, despite the Made in America perception that comes with the Lockheed Martin name, the birds will actually be built by the British and Italians. According to Wikipedia (so you know it must be true), the main components will be made in Yeovil, UK, while the internal components will be likely made at a Cascina Costa facility in Italy. It’s a third of the overall helicopter. Lockheed Martin itself will only make 31% while Bell Helicopter and others will pick up the rest of the workload.
Source: White House Press Office
Source: The Register UK
Source: Gizmodo.com
Source: Wikipedia.org

Darwin Poster: Very Gradual Change We Can Believe In

More here.

Inauguration Roundup, Geek Edition

We get a birds-eye view of the action, Dubya gets the last word, and Whitehouse.gov no longer hides how many Americans were killed in 9/11.

Inaugural Preparations

Great collection of photos of the preparations for the Inauguration of Barack Obama.
Source: The Boston Globe