Austria pulls out of CERN, or: Austrian politicians are retards.

[Syt]

Austria to pull out of European CERN institute

VIENNA (AFP) — Austria is pulling out of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Science Minister Johannes Hahn announced Thursday, citing budget concerns.

The 20-million-euro (26.9-million-dollar) yearly membership in CERN -- which is responsible for Europe's Big Bang atom-smasher -- makes up 70 percent of the money available in Austria for participation in international institutes and could be better used to fund other European projects, he said.

"I feel bad about every membership that we cannot keep up," Hahn told journalists.

But a choice had to be made between continuing work with CERN or encouraging other prospects for the future, he added.

Hahn said he hoped Austria could find "a new kind of cooperation" with CERN and described Vienna's withdrawal from the project as a "pause", noting that some 30 states were already working together with the Geneva-based centre without being members.

The science ministry was aiming "to enhance Austria's research profile" by participating in a variety of projects across a wide range of disciplines, and while CERN's work was high-profile, Austria's role in it was rather limited, said Hahn.

The newly-available funds will now allow Austria to take part in new European projects, boost its participation in old ones as well as help the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the country's main organisation funding research.

But top Austrian scientists criticised the move Thursday, just months before the CERN is due to relaunch the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-kilometre (17-mile) multi-billion-dollar underground particle accelerator designed to shed light on the "Big Bang."

"This is a catastrophe," said renowned Vienna physicist Walter Thirring, who headed CERN's theory group from 1968 to 1971, warning that other states could follow Austria in pulling out of the organisation.

The head of the Austrian Institute of High Energy Physics, Christian Fabjan, meanwhile called it a "black day for Austrian research."

Austria, which has been a member of CERN since 1959, just needs formal approval from parliament and the government now to pull out of the organisation. Its membership could then end officially in late 2010.

Overall a marketing stunt. Instead of participating in a large international program where the Austrian contribution "is drowned out" they prefer to divert it to smaller, less significant studies where they can later proclaim, "Austria is the world's leading contributor".

[PDH]

Overall a marketing stunt. Instead of participating in a large international program where the Austrian contribution "is drowned out" they prefer to divert it to smaller, less significant studies where they can later proclaim, "Austria is the world's leading contributor".

Don't diss the schnitzel studies.

[vinraith]

That's a real bummer for Austrian high energy physicists.

[Syt]

Btw, this comes from the ministry that has on its web page "selected contents in sign language" (presumably for the deaf who know sign language but can't read?).

[garbon]

Btw, this comes from the ministry that has on its web page "selected contents in sign language" (presumably for the deaf who know sign language but can't read?).

Of course, I applaud Austria's decision not to fund the end of the world.

[DisturbedPervert]

Btw, this comes from the ministry that has on its web page "selected contents in sign language" (presumably for the deaf who know sign language but can't read?).

Maybe sign language versions of video clips.

[Syt]

Btw, this comes from the ministry that has on its web page "selected contents in sign language" (presumably for the deaf who know sign language but can't read?).

Maybe sign language versions of video clips.

Again: subtitles?

[Syt]

According to a colleague of mine who knows sign language it actually makes sense. She said that people who were born deaf have major problems with written grammar; sign language uses a different set of grammar rules.

[DisturbedPervert]

Like on tv sometimes, when they have a sign language speaker translating that they put in the corner of the screen.

[DisturbedPervert]

According to a colleague of mine who knows sign language it actually makes sense. She said that people who were born deaf have major problems with written grammar; sign language uses a different set of grammar rules.

I've heard that too.  I occasionally go to internet cafes, and sometimes there are deaf people using them to chat online.  They usually don't type, they use the webcam to sign at the people they are chatting with.

[Syt]

Anyways, regarding CERN the minister is quoted, "In such projects the visibility of small countries or single scientists is very low."

As said: marketing stunt. Austria, future benefactor of the projects no one else wants to fund!

[Pishtaco]

Good. Bloody physicists. The marketing stunt here is CERN itself. Why is it a good idea to spend 70% of your international budget on a hole in the ground?

[DontSayBanana]

According to a colleague of mine who knows sign language it actually makes sense. She said that people who were born deaf have major problems with written grammar; sign language uses a different set of grammar rules.

Not sure about Euro sign language, but American Sign Language is most closely related to Navajo, grammatically; there's some pretty wide differences.

[Syt]

Austrian scientific community is frothing. They are "a bit" angry that Austria, after being in CERN for 50 years, decides to quit shortly before the LHC goes fully operational.

[Razgovory]

Austrian scientific community is frothing. They are "a bit" angry that Austria, after being in CERN for 50 years, decides to quit shortly before the LHC goes fully operational.

I thought it was suppose to be fully operational five years ago.