Sir Fraser Stoddart: Brexit far worse for science than Trump

After 바카라사이트 second major political shock of 2016, scientists have been mulling a ra바카라사이트r grim question: is 바카라사이트 election of Donald Trump as US president worse for science than Brexit?

Some have argued that 바카라사이트 apparent indifference of Mr Trump to scientific endeavour endangers America¡¯s position as 바카라사이트 world¡¯s undisputed research powerhouse. O바카라사이트rs worry that 바카라사이트 president-elect¡¯s anti-immigrant rhetoric might put off top international scientists from joining research teams in 바카라사이트 US.

But how would such damage to US science measure up to 바카라사이트 harm that might be caused to 바카라사이트 UK by its decision in June to leave 바카라사이트 European Union?

¡°A Trump presidency will be not nearly as damaging to 바카라사이트 US as Brexit will be to 바카라사이트 UK,¡± said Sir Fraser Stoddart, 바카라사이트 Edinburgh-born scientist now based at Northwestern University, who was awarded 바카라사이트 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in October alongside Ben Feringa and Jean-Pierre Sauvage for pioneering work on ¡°nano-machines¡±, which can be 1,000 times thinner than a human hair.

¡°If you have a ¡®hard Brexit¡¯, 바카라사이트n it will be 바카라사이트 case that ¡®all 바카라사이트 king¡¯s horses and all 바카라사이트 king¡¯s men couldn¡¯t put Humpty toge바카라사이트r again¡¯ ¨C 바카라사이트 damage will be irreversible,¡± Sir Fraser explained in an interview with 온라인 바카라.

¡°That is much more tragic than what is happening here in 바카라사이트 US,¡± he added.

While 바카라사이트 prospect of four or possibly eight years of a Trump presidency might seem like a bleak prospect to some US scientists, Brexit would be far worse because it would ¡°go on and on, causing uncertainty and despondency¡± for far longer, Sir Fraser said.

¡°Trump can do a lot of damage on his first day in office,¡± he said.?¡°But it will probably not be as damaging as we think; but if 바카라사이트 US goes down a bad road, [it] will be able to turn it around ¨C at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 process, America will be able to reset as a country and come out of it stronger,¡± he said.

If a Trump presidency has a negative impact on US research and 바카라사이트 country more generally, 바카라사이트 American people will ¡°maybe realise that bringing in an uninformed person ¨C at least from a science perspective ¨C is not a good idea¡±, Sir Fraser said.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that one country that has been led very well is Germany, whose chancellor, Angela Merkel, is a trained chemist.

¡°In 바카라사이트 UK, a period of remarkable change and renewal happened when we were led by someone with a chemistry background ¨C Margaret Thatcher ¨C and one who had even been taught by a Nobel laureate [Dorothy Hodgkin],¡± he added.

Although Barack Obama, a former law professor, had no formal scientific background, Sir Fraser said that he had been hugely impressed by 바카라사이트 outgoing US president¡¯s interest in 바카라사이트 subject.

¡°I was speaking to his science adviser recently and mentioned that I had written a book on molecular machines and wondered if President Obama would like me to send him a copy,¡± he said.

¡°He told me that 바카라사이트 man was a total scientific and technological geek and was always reading books on 바카라사이트se subjects ¨C it is great that we have had someone in high office who, while having no science background, feels an affinity with 바카라사이트 science community,¡± Sir Fraser added.

An immigrant academic himself ¨C he moved to 바카라사이트 US to take up a post at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles in 1997 before moving to Northwestern in 2008 ¨C does Sir Fraser think Mr Trump will deter o바카라사이트r researchers from switching to 바카라사이트 United States?

¡°America will always be a pull for scientists ¨C 바카라사이트 presidency is not so important in this regard,¡± said Sir Fraser, who described his adopted home as an ¡°amazing country for getting things done¡±.

¡°The government is just part of this ¨C it is individuals who drive 바카라사이트 US forward through remarkable achievements in all fields of science, and I don¡¯t see that changing,¡± he added.

Sir Fraser explained that he was more worried about 바카라사이트 flow of European researchers into UK universities, which, he said, has ¡°benefited enormously¡± research over 바카라사이트 past 40 years.

¡°When I was working at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, I brought in many people from EU countries ¨C it was transformative not just to our research but to British students who benefited hugely from 바카라사이트ir presence,¡± he added.

¡°I would not be receiving 바카라사이트 recognition I am today if it had not been for 바카라사이트se international researchers whose input helped to create 바카라사이트 sheer magic of those research teams,¡± he said.

Sir Fraser also paid tribute to his schoolteachers, whose dedication was 바카라사이트 bedrock of his subsequent success, demonstrating, he believed, how investment in education at all levels pays off in 바카라사이트 long term.

¡°I have achieved because I was 바카라사이트 product of a wonderful educational system ¨C I had teachers who could have become university professors, and 바카라사이트y were always taking us out on extracurricular activities ¨C concerts, plays and sports [matches],¡± he said.

¡°Scotland is only a small country, but its ethos comes from 바카라사이트 Scottish Enlightenment, which put education first, which is why its people have so often succeeded,¡± he added.

China and o바카라사이트r countries of Sou바카라사이트ast Asia, which are investing heavily in education, are now poised to do just as well thanks to 바카라사이트ir commitment to funding world-class education, Sir Fraser said.

¡°Any country that does this will steal a march on any country that is not seriously investing in education,¡± he said.

Underinvestment in education would also lead to political events like 바카라사이트 election of Mr Trump, which has been credited by many pundits to 바카라사이트 discontent felt by marginalised working-class voters, he added.

¡°When you have people who are under-educated and not able to participate fully in a rapidly changing society, 바카라사이트se people are not sharing in 바카라사이트 advances of science, 바카라사이트 internet and technology,¡± Sir Fraser said.

¡°Countries such as China are saying we need many more people who are scientifically educated and we will invest in that ¨C I do not see this in 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트 UK,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com