Antarctic Research Stations in Chaos

Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency has been rampaging through the US federal government at an alarming pace, leaving seemingly no stone unturned. As Wired reports, even scientists at the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), which operates three permanent stations on the southernmost continent, are feeling the hurt. Over a thousand people visit these stations each year, conducting important scientific experiments, from studying climate change to peering into the earliest days of the universe with the help of the South Pole Telescope. Scientists are now worried that the funding for their research could soon be cut off. Managers who were in charge of Antarctic projects at the National Science Foundation, which manages the USAP, were fired last week as part of a much broader culling by Musk's DOGE. These managers serve a crucial role in keeping track of the projects' budgets, while ensuring that funding allows scientists to keep their work going. "Without the ... Read full article.