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NEVADA VIEWS: Dousing the fire of innovation

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NEVADA VIEWS: Dousing the fire of innovation


As a physicist born, raised and fully trained in the United States, I am concerned that the Trump administration has been severely defunding scientific research and universities that train the next generation of scientists and engineers. This effort comes at a time when America is $36 trillion in debt and needs to reindustrialize to produce more than it consumes.

We have myriad problems that only science can address — the adverse impact of climate change, food production, the quest for alternative energy sources, the decontamination of our poisoned ecosphere from PFAS chemicals, rampant cancers, safeguarding humanity from AI and natural resource management, for instance. China produces more STEM graduates per year than all U.S. graduates combined annually.

America is a superpower because of investments in science made in the 20th century — particularly after World War II. Some achievements from this funding include the transistor, integrated circuit and microprocessor, the bedrock of modern electronics that produced solar cells, cellphones, satellites, televisions and computers. The laser was invented here and is ubiquitous as a source of concentrated coherent energy. The blueprint of life (DNA) was discovered here and paved the way for gene machines/sequencers that were also developed here. Modern medicines (e.g., synthetic insulin) were made or discovered to help humans suffering from myriad ailments (e.g., diabetes), saving untold millions of lives.

Because of decades of government-funded research, our economy grew tremendously. Our health care has improved with myriad technologies such as MRI and PET scans and proton and radiation therapy, among many others. These miracles of modern medicine have unquestionably helped to steadily increase life expectancy in America.

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Beyond this, our military has benefited greatly from STEM, as technological superiority has been the traditional means to win wars. America would never be able to project its power around the world without nuclear submarines, satellites, jet fighters, rockets/missiles, advanced tanks, etc. — all the result of decades of scientific research. Despite their obvious dangers, nuclear weapons have produced the longest period of relative peace in human history and their derivative (nuclear energy) produces a significant amount of our electricity.

Scientific research conducted in the public interest has made life more productive, healthy, comfortable and safe for all of us. Few Americans alive today have not benefited from the investments in science made decades ago to improve America’s standard of living.

Yet today, our leaders do not appear to understand just how vital support is for scientific research and the institutions that perform scientific research, which are largely universities. Universities also train future scientists and engineers. But because of funding cuts, the future of American science and properly trained American STEM professionals is threatened.

Persecuting and defunding universities and banishing foreign students (most of whom study STEM) will hinder our advancement. Where will America’s future scientists and engineers come from? Without scientists and engineers, America will have no future. Who will maintain and further develop nuclear energy? Who will continue the exploration of space and launching of satellites? Who will develop, design and build factories to reindustrialize America?

American technology is like a high-performance sports car. If you can’t train future engineers and technicians to understand, repair, improve and maintain it, the vehicle will soon become undrivable. You will be forced to reinvent the wheel. Knowledge is like a flame that is sustained by education.

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Beyond this, China may soon overtake America economically. How will America compete with China when it is unable to innovate novel technologies because of defunding universities (which are repositories of knowledge and technical know-how)? How will we train sufficient engineers to translate scientific discoveries into economic and industrial reality?

Supporting science and higher education should be an apolitical issue. Defunding these pillars of America’s success will cause great harm by dousing the fire of innovation that has sustained, enriched and given hope to Americans for decades.

There is no better investment to make for America than to support science and higher education. This is what truly made America great.

Michael Pravica is a professor of physics at UNLV. He writes from Henderson.

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Nevada State Police averts ‘udder chaos’ in Eureka County

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Nevada State Police averts ‘udder chaos’ in Eureka County


EUREKA COUNTY, Nev. (KOLO) – On Friday, Feb. 27, the Nevada State Police assisted with a cattle crossing on State Route 306 at Interstate 80 in Eureka County.

“While not an everyday part of our job, we like to do our part to assist our local ranchers while keeping traffic from turning into udder chaos,” according to an agency Facebook post. “It was a perfect opportunity to be outside (even if our animal friends were a little moo-dy).”



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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

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The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

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Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

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John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

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McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

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The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

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There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

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The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



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