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Does science have a future in the US?

When politics and science align, it is easy to think science is apolitical. But the situation in the US today shows how science has always been fuelled by politics, says Annalee Newitz

By Annalee Newitz

30 April 2025

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Blue Origin/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock (15255350a) Texas, USA: New Shepard-31 Capsule Recovery with the crew : Katy Perry, American Singer, Aisha Bowe, American aerospace engineer, Lauren Sanchez, American presenter and companion of Jeff Bezos, Kerianne Flynn, American Producer, Gayle King, American journalist, and Amanda N. Nguyen (Amanda Nguyen), Activist. Suborbital launch system and landing mission. This suborbital flight, the 31st in the New Shepard program and the 11th crewed, will extend Blue Origin's initiative to democratize access to space, having already carried 52 people beyond the Karman line. USA. Blue Origin All-Women Crew Historic Space Launch, Texas, USA - 14 Apr 2025 — Blue Origin’s crew
Blue Origin/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Over a decade ago, I sat in my living room with a bunch of nerds, tears pricking my eyes, as I saw the Curiosity rover’s first blurry selfie taken on Mars. The NASA livestream had just confirmed the wheeled robot was alive and well and ready to start doing science! We cheered and hugged and imagined a future where our solar system would be full of robotic explorers, gathering all the data we would need to safely send humans in their wake.

Last month, the US media trumpeted our nation’s latest accomplishment…

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