US science is being wrecked, and its leadership is fighting the last war

The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts for scientific research are causing widespread concern, with agencies like NIH and NSF facing drastic reductions. One result has been the cancellation of major missions, such as Mars Sample Return and Juno, leaving behind a critical blow to innovation. These cuts, already harshly criticized by experts, now threaten to halt entire areas of research and dismantle previously funded projects, signaling a dangerous regression in U.S. scientific capabilities that could take decades to recover from.