The Senate’s top watchdog on government waste, in a new report Thursday, said taxpayer money has gone to fund such programs as Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole, testing shrimp’s exercise ability on a treadmill and a laundry-folding robot, all funded by the National Science Foundation. At a time when the federal government is struggling with record deficits and bumping up against its borrowing limit, Mr. Coburn said the agency is a prime example of the kinds of spending taxpayers should no longer tolerate. In one instance NSF employees, in their spare time, engaged in a Jell-O wrestling contest at the agency’s McMurdo research station at the South Pole. In another case, the agency paid $559,681 to test sick shrimp’s metabolism, which one researcher said was “the first time that shrimp have been exercised on a treadmill.”
Mr. Coburn’s report noted that the researchers found sick shrimp “did not perform as well and did not recover as well from exercise as healthy shrimp.”
And just in case this story seems like bullshit, as it did to me:
Humans fighting an infection typically sleep more and are not at top physical performance. “The situation is much more critical for a sick marine crustacean, such as a shrimp, where a decrease in performance may mean the difference between life and death,” said David Scholnick, a biologist from Pacific University.
The shrimp treadmill, invented and built by Scholnick, allows researchers to measure the activity of an exercising shrimp for a set period of time at known speed and oxygen levels.
“As far as I know this is the first time that shrimp have been exercised on a treadmill and it was amazing to see how well they performed,” Scholnick told LiveScience. “Healthy shrimp ran and swam at treadmill speeds of up to 20 meters per minute [66 feet per minute] for hours with little indication of fatigue.”
Yeah, but it’s on an elliptical that these decapods really show their stuff!
And only $500K for that one? That’s what each Congressperson will spend on Memorial Day weekend parties!
Problem is: 95% of the time when you find the actual study-it has “worth.” Seems lots of people have an interest in putting out FUD.
Imagine that?
Meanwhile: no reforms to the Banking industry. Its more consolidated and even bigger as to allowed failure mode.
Imagine that?
Exactly how much did the jello-wrestling cost?
And now that it has been banned, the organizer has been fired and everybody is looking over their shoulder in case anything else they do is reported – how much has staff morale declined at the south pole base?
How much less effective are the staff? Given the fantastic cost/day of having them there how much does this cost in lost productivity?
Presumably we will find out when the legions of moral-improvement officers are recruited for next season and they do a survey into why having a staff of moral officers checking up on you doesn’t improve moral.
#2. #3. Typical Libs, never met a Pork Chop they didn’t like.
Hey Lakota Sued==glad to see you back but whasup? You are still as right wing goose stepping as ever. I thought you’d have it in for “the man.” Why the respect or do you just believe the first version of everything you read?
You Want to study something?…how about we study the effects of the Fukushima disaster on ocean wildlife and the seafood industry? Instead of crap like this.
THAT would be a worth study. It will never happen.
#5. Why not enlighten me? Tell me bobbo, what benefit do YOU see coming from this?
Two can play your game.
#7–Lakota==I have no idea. My own currently funded NSF Grant is to count the number of kneejerk responses that are totally devoid of analysis occur on blogs of popular note. I have you down as:
DU -46739- Lakota Sue (Shrimp Metabolism).
As you must be wondering, yes, you are also listed at DU -3519 and DU 2814.
That must mean you’ve posted twice before?
#8. Bullshit, BP police itself? What planet are you from…this is exactly the the kind of thing government should be doing. That’s neither Conservative or Liberal, it’s just common sense.
And a quick google gives us:
http://nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2003/ideas.htm
about 80% down the right side slider:
“Over 40 immune-function genes in both Pacific and Atlantic white shrimp have been identified, advancing our knowledge and permitting direct studies of shrimp immune responses to viral infection. Atlantic shrimp are the staple of the shrimp fishery industry in South Carolina.”
Yea, but who cares about basic research into food/aqua culture? We all know food comes from the grocery store. We should all trust and support our fine members in Congress, because they have our best interests ((ie–low taxes no matter what the subject is)) as their number one priority==after having Obama serve one term only.
Silly Hoomans.
McCullough–ha, ha. Your reading skills are “way off.”
Lather, rinse = repeat.
Seems to me the Republican party (of which Tom Coburn is a member) is anti-science. The NSF does fund some basic research even if an immediate application isn’t identified. Sure, it looks funny to see a shrimp run on a treadmill (especially when accompanied by some Benny Hill music), but there may be value to the study.
I bet Mr. Coburn doesn’t believe in global warming due to humans’ effects either despite the National Academy of Science’s statement to the contrary.
Perhaps we don’t need science, just more prayer.
MuCullough, with your computer skills and my artistic skills, we should be able to convince the NSF to part with 5 million to study the effects of the Fukushima disaster on ocean wildlife. I would also bring in Bobbo to write up the report titled…
“//Fuk-u-shima at Fault//¿Ocean Environment //Radiation Contamination//Pukes // Gamma, Gramma, Grandpa?–Accumulation In Shellfish, Seaweed \\Other Marine Life//Silly Hoomans, Yea Verily.”
By the time they decipher the first 10,000 pages, we’ll have comfortably retired.
(in jest Bobbo)
Coburn huh? The doc that doesn’t support abortion rights or stem cell research that does any harm to human beings==which are present at conception.
found a few website mocking Coburn for not believing in evolution, but nothing directly said by him, although it would be shocking if he weren’t that………what’s the nicest word for it?……….retro?
Skeptic–a good jab is the bestest thing in the world. I’m all in for writing a report on how contaminated and radioactive and in fact walking dead the PUKES really are. Who cares about the Japanese? I actually read a study once that said it would be reasonable to simply dump all radioactive waste into the ocean and let it get diluted out. supposedly, the ocean is large enough that we shouldn’t even notice it. Might even counteract the mercury–who knows?
count me in–twice.
Hey booboob. You have way too much time on your hands. (8 comments on a lame posting) You should get a real job as a greeter at walmart or something. Do something productive for pete’s sake.
and
3 2 1 …
-insert witty response here-
Basic scientific research advanced, see #11, at the cost of one Apache patrol in Iraq.
After all, what’s important?
Vote Yes on shrimp fitness and No on laundry folding.
“When I was Speaker of the House, while balancing the budget, we doubled the size of the National Institutes of Health and I said since then the biggest mistake we made was not tripling NSF at the same time. I think one of the major functions of government should be basic research and a continuous effort to expand our understanding of science and technology. I think it’s highly ironic people who use the internet explain how they’re opposed to the government doing things, because the government invented the internet.”
Newt Gingrich
March 2011
#24 Winner of the most bicurious comment of the week.
Is’nt this obvious to the most casual observer that a sick shrimp will have more problem negotiating a treadmill than a well one? Just like us humans!I think these scientist are being under employed or we hired too many of them and therefore have to provide “make work” projects to keep them busy.
#11. OK, OK…I skimmed the article, so shoot me. Still, not a peep from the guv about Gulf or Fukushima disaster effects. It’s almost like they’re corporate shills or something.
Yea, but who cares about basic research into food/aqua culture? We all know food comes from the grocery store.
Which explains why so many Republicans are anti-science. It is so much more fun to make up the crap as they go.
The more we know about the world we live in, the less we need to believe in some “invisible dude in the sky” crap.
#27 Then why don’t you propose a study and apply for a grant? I’d be surprised if there weren’t projects like that being proposed or on going right now.
Its almost like you don’t have any idea what the NSF is or does except what this inflammatory article told you.
#28 “It is so much more fun to make up the crap as they go.”
It’s no fun hauling that giant democrat intellect around is it Dr. Spock?
Still better than building billion dollar bridges to nowhere.
#33–Now, TEAdud==I almost posted the same thing in response to your merriment at #17==but I will never interfere in the innocent pleasures of a child. No reason to…..wouldn’t be prudent.
#27–McCullough==thank you. But read again my comment at #11==I SERIOUSLY THINK the settlement with BP would have/should have/DID? include the requirement to FUND ((NOT PERFORM)) a series of followup studies to determine the harm/needed responses to their spill in the Gulf. Seems to me that studying the consequential effects of illnesses on shrimp is about as relevant as you can get.
Really?—No. I’m just fulfilling the terms of my Grant. McCullough==can’t put you down for the count as you remain too relevant. What happened to Dakota Sued? Darn, I had 3-4 more zingers lined up.
I assume many more people, even those posting here, take some claim to being rational? Yet put an issue like this one up and watch the ball become untethered. Anti-science. Anti-basic research. And the Newt has two in a row. Too bad he backpedeled into Tiffany’s so fast. Had he stood his ground, he would have looked like a real leader.
Ha, ha. Tough to lead a group that is so wedded to failure==even in America. Thats sumptin’ ain’t it? Haven’t seen this kind of stupidity since Southern France about 10,000 years ago. Rugged individuals back then.
Are we men of Science, or Devo?
#34. Well, don’t get me wrong, I still think its a stupid waste of money. Along with Jello wrestling and Chinese robot launderers.
The video is just there for comic relief, something I personally needed after observing the news for the past month or two.
TEAdud–I love the short form posts you are making now. One wouldn’t think it, but they are easier to ignore.
KA-CHING==I see another NSF Grant proposal: How stupid do you have to be to get insulted while reading a blog?
I wonder if self reporting on a website would be scientifically valid? Or would it matter if I get the grant? Want to co-author the Grant TEAdud? I’m sure with your reputation behind it, we could get twice the money. ACK!!!===Wait a minute, my scientific objectivity doth tease me from eternity. TEAdud: does being a registered sex offender or being on the no-fly list prevent the funding of a grant? I have to assume so, so forget about signing the grant. I’d rather submit a clean application–no offense, but we’re talking hard science here.
Carry on.
Knowing about how fast a shrimp can run is more important than any bill that Coburn has submitted to Congress.
That man is just a C-street cultist and under investigation for his knowledge about hush money for a fellow GOP rep who got caught philandering.