Bill Bates
@entanglement.bsky.social
Advocate for higher education, S&T wonk, follower of the church of the long run. https://substack.com/@bistromathic?r=5as4ze&utm_medium=ios
Pinned
Bill Bates
@entanglement.bsky.social
· Mar 17
Subscribe to So Long and Thanks for All the Innovation
I'm an advocate for higher education, an S&T wonk, and a devoted follower of the church of the long run. Click to read So Long and Thanks for All the Innovation, by Bill Bates, a Substack publication....
bistromathic.substack.com
Taking the leap in longer form and starting a "regular" Substack exploring the crossroads at which higher education finds itself. bistromathic.substack.com/subscribe
substack.com/@bistromathi...
I actually think Cornell cut a pretty good deal with the federal government
I actually think Cornell cut a pretty good deal with the federal government
Bill Bates (@bistromathic)
As an alumnus of Cornell, I was interested in their decision to cut a deal with the Trump Administration. I’m still not sure it was the right decision, but it was an understandable one.
substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
substack.com/@bistromathi...
I actually think Cornell cut a pretty good deal with the federal government
I actually think Cornell cut a pretty good deal with the federal government
I revisited an earlier article on the cost of college in light of the Pew Research survey this week that showed 70% of the public believing higher education is headed in the wrong direction. bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...
The Cost of College Is Broken (and So Is the Math)
Why the real problem isn’t that people misunderstand the cost of going to college—it’s that the system has become opaque.
bistromathic.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:42 PM
I revisited an earlier article on the cost of college in light of the Pew Research survey this week that showed 70% of the public believing higher education is headed in the wrong direction. bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...
This echoes a recent post I put up regarding how slowly dollars are getting out the door at federal science agencies. substack.com/@bistromathi...
September 18, 2025 at 12:43 PM
This echoes a recent post I put up regarding how slowly dollars are getting out the door at federal science agencies. substack.com/@bistromathi...
And here’s the piece on the conservative imbalance in academia. bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-conser...
The Conservative Crisis in Academia
Is ideological imbalance inevitable?
bistromathic.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:40 AM
And here’s the piece on the conservative imbalance in academia. bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-conser...
Dropping a new article tomorrow on the lack of conservatives in academia. And, of course, who’s to blame. substack.com/@bistromathic
July 22, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Dropping a new article tomorrow on the lack of conservatives in academia. And, of course, who’s to blame. substack.com/@bistromathic
The National Science Foundation was kicked out of its headquarters last week. What does this say about our regard for science and long term investments in our future. Hint--it's not good. open.substack.com/pub/bistroma...
Kicked Out
The National Science Foundation just got evicted. Did America’s long-term thinking go with it?
open.substack.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The National Science Foundation was kicked out of its headquarters last week. What does this say about our regard for science and long term investments in our future. Hint--it's not good. open.substack.com/pub/bistroma...
You can afford college!! bistromathic.substack.com/p/college-is...
College Is Affordable
With a little research and reason, most students can get that degree and not break the bank
bistromathic.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 12:45 AM
You can afford college!! bistromathic.substack.com/p/college-is...
The National Science Foundation is being kicked out of its headquarters so HUD can move out of DC. This has been about as bad a year as possible for an agency that for seven decades has been a crown jewel for United States competitiveness.
June 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The National Science Foundation is being kicked out of its headquarters so HUD can move out of DC. This has been about as bad a year as possible for an agency that for seven decades has been a crown jewel for United States competitiveness.
Ready for some crazy research?! bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-joy-of...
The Joy of Dumb Research
From free-falling cats to ticklish rats, here's what happens when you fund curiosity—even when it sounds ridiculous.
bistromathic.substack.com
June 19, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Ready for some crazy research?! bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-joy-of...
Is a new Bell Labs the answer? bistromathic.substack.com/p/let-the-be...
Let the Bell Labs Dream Die
Nostalgia Isn’t a National Research Strategy
bistromathic.substack.com
June 9, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Is a new Bell Labs the answer? bistromathic.substack.com/p/let-the-be...
What if we sought to build up our universities instead of tear them down? bistromathic.substack.com/p/what-if-we...
What If We Assume Harvard’s Value
Can we build up rather than break down?
bistromathic.substack.com
June 5, 2025 at 11:21 PM
What if we sought to build up our universities instead of tear them down? bistromathic.substack.com/p/what-if-we...
Cut off international students, reduce research funding, cut back on outreach. 🧠✨ My latest dive into why panic will not keep America on top. #HigherEd #Policy #Innovation #immigration bistromathic.substack.com/p/deterring-...
Deterring the Best and Brightest
The Double-Edged Debate Over Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education
bistromathic.substack.com
June 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Cut off international students, reduce research funding, cut back on outreach. 🧠✨ My latest dive into why panic will not keep America on top. #HigherEd #Policy #Innovation #immigration bistromathic.substack.com/p/deterring-...
Last week, the WH Science Advisor called for a new Golden Age of Innovation, but the Administration's budget proposals tell a different story. bistromathic.substack.com/p/follow-the...
Follow the Vision, Not the Budget
The White House Science Advisor called for a new golden age—Congress must embrace the words and ignore the proposed budget.
bistromathic.substack.com
May 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Last week, the WH Science Advisor called for a new Golden Age of Innovation, but the Administration's budget proposals tell a different story. bistromathic.substack.com/p/follow-the...
Reposted by Bill Bates
Breaking news: House Republicans approved President Trump’s sprawling tax and immigration agenda Thursday morning, sending to the Senate legislation that the GOP hopes will transform the federal government.
House approves Trump’s massive tax and immigration package
A vote on Trump’s big budget bill could come early Thursday morning. The legislation would extend tax cuts and add billions in new spending – and trillions in debt.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 22, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Breaking news: House Republicans approved President Trump’s sprawling tax and immigration agenda Thursday morning, sending to the Senate legislation that the GOP hopes will transform the federal government.
Reposted by Bill Bates
Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
Trump’s NIH And NSF Cuts Estimated To Cost The U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually
Economists find public R&D drives U.S. productivity growth — and pays for itself
www.forbes.com
May 20, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
We want colleges to retain students, comply with federal law, provide mental health, and protect national security… then we call the people doing that “bloat.” The problem isn’t the staff, it’s the expectations.
“A Culprit Behind College Closures”
bistromathic.substack.com/p/a-college-...
“A Culprit Behind College Closures”
bistromathic.substack.com/p/a-college-...
A College Crisis of Commitments Is Colliding with Cuts to Capital
Students, parents, state legislators, and the federal government all want higher ed to do more with less.
bistromathic.substack.com
May 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM
We want colleges to retain students, comply with federal law, provide mental health, and protect national security… then we call the people doing that “bloat.” The problem isn’t the staff, it’s the expectations.
“A Culprit Behind College Closures”
bistromathic.substack.com/p/a-college-...
“A Culprit Behind College Closures”
bistromathic.substack.com/p/a-college-...
Reposted by Bill Bates
This is just a partial glimpse of the destruction of American science by Trump and the GOP.
May 18, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This is just a partial glimpse of the destruction of American science by Trump and the GOP.
We don’t get the next mRNA vaccine or moon landing without risk. Short-term grants. Political landmines. Shrinking budgets. Big bets are disappearing—and so are possible breakthroughs.
bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-case-f...
#science #risk #innovation #NSF #NIH #research #bluesky
bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-case-f...
#science #risk #innovation #NSF #NIH #research #bluesky
The Case for Failure
Budget cuts threaten scientific breakthroughs at a time when we should be rewarding risk
bistromathic.substack.com
May 12, 2025 at 1:40 PM
We don’t get the next mRNA vaccine or moon landing without risk. Short-term grants. Political landmines. Shrinking budgets. Big bets are disappearing—and so are possible breakthroughs.
bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-case-f...
#science #risk #innovation #NSF #NIH #research #bluesky
bistromathic.substack.com/p/the-case-f...
#science #risk #innovation #NSF #NIH #research #bluesky
I don’t even understand what the theoretical end game is here. All I’m seeing are cuts to funding and RiFs—not any re-prioritization or increased support for new priorities.
May 9, 2025 at 12:27 AM
I don’t even understand what the theoretical end game is here. All I’m seeing are cuts to funding and RiFs—not any re-prioritization or increased support for new priorities.
Reposted by Bill Bates
The Choose Europe for Science program will invest more than half a billion dollars between 2025 and 2027 to recruit researchers and scientists—especially from the United States. www.wired.com/story/us-cut...
As the US Cuts Scientific Talent, Europe Launches an Initiative to Attract It
The Choose Europe for Science program will invest more than half a billion dollars between 2025 and 2027 to recruit researchers and scientists—especially from the United States.
www.wired.com
May 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The Choose Europe for Science program will invest more than half a billion dollars between 2025 and 2027 to recruit researchers and scientists—especially from the United States. www.wired.com/story/us-cut...
What’s so frustrating is that these reductions in indirect costs are not being redirected to research, but just arbitrarily cut from the research enterprise. thehill.com/homenews/adm...
Universities sue over National Science Foundation funding cuts
A coalition of universities and corresponding organizations sued the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Monday over slated funding cuts to schools. The federal agency said Friday it would no lon…
thehill.com
May 7, 2025 at 12:04 AM
What’s so frustrating is that these reductions in indirect costs are not being redirected to research, but just arbitrarily cut from the research enterprise. thehill.com/homenews/adm...
In my latest article, I ask the question, how far does the latest budget request stray from what Congress has authorized for science over the years. Spoiler--a lot. open.substack.com/pub/bistroma...
Mind the Innovation Gap
What the FY2026 Budget Says About America’s Commitment to Science
open.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 12:41 PM
In my latest article, I ask the question, how far does the latest budget request stray from what Congress has authorized for science over the years. Spoiler--a lot. open.substack.com/pub/bistroma...
I may need to update this article after today’s White House budget release. substack.com/@bistromathi...
$7 Billion in Missing Science Funding
The Full Year Funding Bill Congress Passed Continues the Flat Funding of Research
substack.com
May 2, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I may need to update this article after today’s White House budget release. substack.com/@bistromathi...
