Interestingly enough, Harvard University comes in as the 2nd highest corporate "donor" to the Kerry campaign, with approximately ~$250K if I remember correctly. First on the list was the University of California with ~$400K.

Of course, the schools themselves weren't making these donations, it was instead individual faculty and administrators. Despite the fact that university faculty trend liberal, donations at this level are extraordinary, and no doubt reflect the fears that many academic scientists are expressing for a second George W. administration.

George W.'s opposition to stem-cell research is one obvious manifestation of neocon politicalization of science and scientific issues. But in many ways, it reaches much further than any single issue. Prospective members of peer-review groups at the NIH (i.e., the groups that award funding to meritorious grants) have been queried as to whether they "supported" or "voted" for George W. Funds for basic research at the NIH have been diverted into "DARPA" (i.e., defense) projects. Although some of this diverted research may be useful, much is like the 'pork-barrel" contracts awarded to favored private businesses. Already, funding levels for new NIH grants has reached the 10% level (i.e., only 10% of new proposals are funded). These rates are too low to sustain the development of new investigators.

Scientific American recently discussed the rise in the U.S. of a new "Lysenkoism", a reference to Stalin's favorite geneticist, Trofim Lysenko, who believed that evolution occurs because organisms can inherit traits which have been acquired by their ancestors. This diversion set back Russian genetics and biology research an entire generation.

One of the few bright spots in the U.S. has been our lead in sciences, particularly biology and biotechnology. A second George W. administration seriously threatens that preeminence.

-- Modified on 8/25/2004 3:59:29 PM

are old and liberal you have no brain."

depending on department.  Those in Academia are usually liberal and so the anti-Bush feelings are to be expected (I for one adore him so).