Message from the MIST mailing list.
Stan, and the rest of the MIST world,
I can't disagree with your analysis. What do you suggest we do about it
that we have not already tried? The "young ones" in MIST have made a brave
attempt to get the eye of the "community" but seem to have been largely
ignored. Where possible those of us with some seniority have been working
through Heads of Department, contacts with the media etc, but with such
wide-ranging discontent and decimation of physics out there getting any
special attention for STP is proving difficult. If we need a grand gesture
of some sort or a consolidated effort let's organise one, but I for one am
short of good ideas. The particle physicists are too busy with their own
angst to care about us - ditto the astronomers. This is the worst part of
being a minority subject. Wheer do we turn now that will make a
difference?
Alan
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007, Stan Cowley wrote:
> Message from the MIST mailing list.
>
> Dear Colleagues
>
> In his recent community message Steve Schwartz still wonders whether he is
> being paranoid. Ladies and gentlemen of the MIST community, please wake up
> and pay attention. Your research area has literally been written out of your
> research council’s delivery plan. The *only* mention that is made in this
> document is that “We will cease all support for ground-based
> solar-terrestrial physics”, an executive decision taken without discussion,
> consultation, or process, which was the subject of my message on Friday.
>
> Do you seriously suppose that this ‘writing out’ has happened by accident?
> On the contrary, in my view this is a defining moment.
>
> Do you really care whether the ‘writing out’ was inspired only by the
> executive, or had input from a Science Board that has no representation from
> our research community, and which still contains membership from the former
> PPARC Science Committee who thought the Cluster extended mission not worth
> doing? Remember that? “Knows little and cares less” is the phrase that
> comes to mind.
>
> Steve, by the time you are before a committee being told “Sorry, but your
> research is of lower priority – why, it doesn’t even relate to any of our
> ‘big questions’”, it will be far, far too late. The time for the community
> to take concerted action on this is NOW.
>
> By the way, if any stray solar physicist happens to be reading this message –
> Eric? – you also have been written out by the STFC, and should perhaps be
> paying some attention to this too.
>
> My best wishes to you all, Stan Cowley
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Prof Stanley W H Cowley
> Head, Radio & Space Plasma Physics Group
>
> Department of Physics & Astronomy Tel: +44-116-223-1331
> University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH Fax: +44-116-252-3555
> United Kingdom Sec:
> +44-116-252-3563
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