Kartik Sheth, 53, is an astrophysicist and, until a few weeks ago, was the associate chief scientist at NASA. On March 10, he got an unexpected email: “I regret to inform you that you are being affected by a [reduction-in-force] action. … Therefore, you will be separated from NASA at the close of business on April 10, 2025….”
— from ‘As Trump cuts science budgets, some researchers look abroad’ in The Washington Post, May 20, 2025.
Now that we no longer need scientists in the U.S., it’s not clear how many American scientists will find work in other countries, where salaries are generally lower. But a lower salary is better than no salary at all.
I can almost hear my dad saying that, as I write it. “Better than nothing at all!” That was one of his favorite sayings.
When my mom would serve fried Spam and canned spinach for dinner, my dad would say, “Better than nothing at all.” And he would honestly mean it.
Based on the tone of the Washington Post article about astrophysicist Kartik Sheth, I would guess the reporters — Joel Achenbach, Carolyn Johnson, Karla Adam, and Kate Brady — were feeling sorry for him, and I will admit the article made me feel the same way. Once you’ve been the associate chief scientist at NASA, it would be hard to find a job in France or Germany that will match up. Most of the science jobs in Europe have to do with perfume or automobile exhaust systems.
It’s simply not as satisfying. And like the reporters mentioned, the pay is generally lower.
But the Europeans are making an effort to appear attractive. At an event in Paris this month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a fund of 500 million euros ($560 million) aimed at making the European Union a ‘magnet for researchers.’
I’m waiting for the Europeans to announce 500 million for journalists. Because a lot of us are going to be out of work, at the rate things are going. The news has been so depressing lately, I’m shocked that anyone is still reading the stuff we write.
This isn’t the first time the Europeans have tried to steal American scientists. Back in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his “Make Our Planet Great Again” program, inviting scientists to live and work in France. By a curious coincidence, he made that announcement on the same day President Trump — during his first term — declared that the U.S. was pulling out of the Paris climate accord.
That program’s appellation, “Make Our Planet Great Again” sounds suspiciously similar to Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Yet another coincidence?
Obviously, two different approaches. Macron thinks he can make Our Planet great again by encouraging more scientists. Trump thinks he can make America great again by getting rid of them.
That’s something of a change. Ever since World War II, the U.S. government has been the world’s biggest funder of scientific research, and as a result, we attracted a lot of foreign scientists, who were not seen as ‘immigrants’ because a scientist is different from a meat packing plant employee.
Except that both types are now looking for jobs elsewhere.
The former NASA scientist covered in the Washington Post article — Kartik Sheth — came with his family to the U.S. when he was 14.
As a child, he loved “Star Trek” and dreamed of being a scientist, or even an astronaut. His dream came true, taking him all the way to NASA, where he worked for nine years, eight months and 27 days.
He’s been living in Washington DC, and has nearby family in New Jersey and Virginia. The WP article featured a photo of him walking the streets of Paris, looking slightly lost. It’s possible he could find a scientific job in France, and learn to speak French and hang out in a cafe with other ex-pat scientists, discussing their lower salaries. One of them could say, in a sarcastic voice, “Better than nothing at all.”
As singer Paul Simon once noted, when you live in an apartment building, one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. I don’t live in an apartment building, thank goodness, so my ceiling is just a ceiling.
But maybe our entire Planet is one big, beautiful apartment building?
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.