049 | 这瓜有毒×美轮美换：特朗普2.0时代的科研寒冬
美轮美换 The American Roulette
【聊了什么】
本期节目由《这瓜有毒》制作，录制于3月中旬。
本期节目聚焦美国科研界在特朗普第二次执政后所面临的空前挑战。几位嘉宾分享了他们的第一手观察——从政府大规模裁员、联邦经费冻结，到频频传出的各种“关键字”审查，一连串政策变化让科研机构和高校都陷入了前所未有的混乱。
很多研究项目和人才因此停摆或外流，更令人担忧的是，部分公共卫生与基础科研项目可能因此断档，影响范围远远超出美国本土。
除了官方与学术机构的角力，本期节目还提及多位科研工作者的亲身体会。他们与主持人讨论了在经费不确定、审查规则模糊的情况下，如何调整研究方向，或者转向其他领域谋出路。这些应对方法虽然艰难，但也反映出当科研环境被政策因素扰动时，人们必须不断摸索新生存方式。
从长远来看，科研生态一旦受损，影响的绝不仅是论文发表或学术奖项，还有可能带来公共卫生、国际合作等多方面的风险。节目的核心信息是：学术界需要更多互相支持与协力，也需积极与公众保持沟通，争取让科学研究在复杂环境里依然能生根发芽。
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【嘉宾介绍】
孔孔：这瓜有毒主播
Y博：药企科学家，专注于新药研发及科普创作。其微信公众号 @一个生物狗的科普小园 广受好评。
Talich：美轮美换主播，现居亚利桑那的美国政治和文化历史爱好者。
【时间轴】
02:15 初步讨论科研经费冻结 嘉宾提到 NIH、NSF 等科研机构出现的经费暂停，并分享第一手观察，说明不少研究项目无故被搁置。
07:10 裁员风波与内部混乱 大量政府部门和高校开始裁员或冻结职位，导致项目审批停摆。嘉宾们举例说明这一政策对研究人员个人与团队的冲击。
10:25 “关键字审查”的荒诞例 从 “woman”“transgender” 等词遭到过滤，到与疫苗研究及中美合作相关的项目被取消，探讨这背后可能的政治逻辑。
15:40 公共卫生的隐忧 麻疹、禽流感等疾病的防控工作也难以幸免；政府层面的信息发布与应对协调存在明显滞后风险。
21:05 高校的应对与困境 多所知名大学开始缩减博士生名额、暂停招生或项目；对年轻研究者而言，职业前景骤然受挫。
24:10 个人感受与现实选择 科研人员谈到应对策略，部分人考虑转向私营企业或跨国合作，另一些则只能等待政策走向明朗。
28:35 马斯克的角色与政府关系 马斯克在裁员和管理层面所扮演的作用，如何与特朗普政府形成强势“组合拳”，对科技产业也产生辐射影响。
33:20 长期影响：科研生态断裂与人才流失 减少科研投入可能带来的潜在代价，不仅限于美国，更会波及国际学术合作与基础研究发展。
【我们是谁】
美轮美换是一档深入探讨当今美国政治的中文播客。
【 What We Talked About】
This episode was produced by 这瓜有毒 and recorded in mid-March.
This episode focuses on the unprecedented challenges facing the American research community following Donald Trump’s return to power. Our guests share first-hand accounts of what they’ve witnessed—massive government layoffs, a freeze on federal funding, and increasing reports of politically driven “keyword” censorship. These policy shifts have thrown research institutions and universities into an era of chaos not seen before.
Many research projects have been halted or abandoned, and researchers are leaving the field or the country altogether. Even more concerning is the potential collapse of key public health initiatives and basic science programs, with ripple effects far beyond the United States.
Beyond the clash between official institutions and academia, this episode also highlights the personal experiences of scientists on the ground. In conversation with the host, they discuss how they’ve had to shift their research focus—or leave their fields entirely—amid budget uncertainty and vague, shifting censorship rules. These tough decisions reveal how deeply political interference is reshaping the scientific environment, and how researchers must continually adapt to survive.
In the long run, a damaged research ecosystem affects far more than academic publications or professional accolades—it carries risks for public health, global scientific collaboration, and technological progress. The core message of this episode: the academic community must foster greater solidarity, maintain open lines of communication with the public, and continue planting the seeds of science—even in hostile soil.
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【Timeline】
02:15 – Initial Discussion on Research Funding Freeze Guests discuss the suspension of funding from agencies like the NIH and NSF, sharing first-hand observations of research projects being stalled or canceled without explanation.
07:10 – Layoff Waves and Institutional Chaos Widespread layoffs and hiring freezes across government agencies and universities have paralyzed project approvals. Guests provide examples of how these policies have directly impacted individual researchers and teams.
10:25 – The Absurdity of “Keyword Censorship” Terms like “woman” and “transgender” have reportedly been filtered out, and projects related to vaccines or U.S.-China collaborations canceled. The guests explore the possible political motivations behind these actions.
15:40 – Public Health in Jeopardy Disease control efforts for illnesses like measles and avian flu are not spared. There are serious concerns about delays and dysfunction in how the government communicates and coordinates public health responses.
21:05 – Universities' Response and Dilemmas Prestigious universities are cutting PhD slots, pausing admissions, or shutting down programs entirely. For early-career researchers, this has suddenly upended their career prospects.
24:10 – Personal Stories and Hard Choices Researchers describe their strategies to adapt: some are shifting to private sector roles or international collaborations, while others are stuck in limbo, waiting for the political climate to stabilize.
28:35 – Elon Musk’s Role and Ties to Government Musk’s involvement in layoffs and organizational shakeups is examined, along with how his alignment with the Trump administration forms a powerful force reshaping the tech and science landscape.
33:20 – Long-Term Impact: A Broken Research Ecosystem and Talent Exodus Cuts in research investment may have long-term costs, not just for the U.S. but for global scientific cooperation and the future of foundational research.
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