"Kim Stanley Robinson - Forty Signs of Rain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Kim Stanley)

тАЬPerfect. What kind are you getting him?тАЭ

тАЬRunning shoes. HeтАЩll love them.тАЭ

On her way out she ran into Frank, also headed for the elevator.

тАЬWhat you got?тАЭ he asked, gesturing at her list.

тАЬSome stuff for the Khembalis,тАЭ she said. тАЬVarious programs we run or take part in that might help them
out.тАЭ

тАЬSo they can study how to adapt to higher sea levels?тАЭ

She frowned. тАЬNo, itтАЩs more than that. We can get them a lot of infrastructural help if itтАЩs configured
right.тАЭ
 тАЬGood. But, you know. In the end theyтАЩre going to need more than studies. And NSF doesnтАЩt do
remediation. It just serves its clients. Pays for their studies.тАЭ



FrankтАЩs comment bugged Anna, and after a nice lunch with Drepung she went up to her office and called
Sophie Harper, NSFтАЩs liaison to Congress.

тАЬSophie, does NSF ever do requests for proposals?тАЭ

тАЬNot for a long time. In general itтАЩs been policy to make the program proposal-driven.тАЭ

тАЬSo is there any way that NSF can, you know, set the agenda so to speak?тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean. We ask Congress for funding in very specific ways, and they earmark the
money they give us for very specific purposes.тАЭ

тАЬSo we might be able to ask for funds for various things?тАЭ

тАЬYes, we do that. I think the way to think of it is that science sets its own agenda. To tell the truth, thatтАЩs
why the appropriations committees donтАЩt like us very much.тАЭ

тАЬWhy?тАЭ

тАЬBecause they hold the purse strings, honey. And theyтАЩre very jealous of that power. IтАЩve had senators
who believe the Earth is flat say to me, тАШAre you trying to tell me thatyou know whatтАЩs good for science
better thanI do?тАЩ And of course thatтАЩs exactly what IтАЩm trying to tell them, because itтАЩs true, but what can
you say? ThatтАЩs the kind of person we sometimes have to deal with. Even with the best of committees,
thereтАЩs a basic dislike for scienceтАЩs autonomy.тАЭ

тАЬBut weтАЩre only free to study things.тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean.тАЭ

Anna sighed. тАЬI donтАЩt either. Listen Sophie, thanks for that. IтАЩll get back to you when I have a better