One would expect science-targeting politicians to have learned caution from Sarah Palin’s fruit fly debacle, in which the then-Vice Presidential candidate mocked the methodology of research into neurological disorders like Down syndrome and autism, both of which afflict members of her family.

But in a video introduction to the YouCut review, congressman Adrian Smith (R-Nebraska), a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, pulls rank on peer review.

“Help us identify grants that are wasteful or that you don’t think are a good use of taxpayer dollars,” he asks, mentioning “university academics [who] received a $750,000 grant to develop computer models to analyze the on-field contributions of soccer players” and “scientists [who] received $1.2 million to model the sound of objects breaking for use by the video game and movie industry.”

After LiveScience and Chris Mooney of Discover picked up on Smith’s attack, USA Today science columnist Dan Vergano dug into the details of Smith’s examples.

Soccer, it turns out, happened to be a useful model for Northwestern University researchers trying to develop a framework for evaluating individual contributions to organizational success. Their work may enable better long-distance group collaboration, helping people in rural areas — like, say, Smith’s district of Nebraska — compete against big-city companies.

As for the “video game” modeling, it’s the work of Cornell University researchers developing algorithms for simulating sounds in real-time. Even though it’s possible to realistically model the physics of splashing water or breaking glass, sonic modeling isn’t nearly so developed. Figuring it out would “transform how sound is computed in interactive virtual environments,” say the researchers.

It’s not hard to imagine non-commercial applications for immersive computer simulations, but it certainly would help video game and movie makers and potentially create jobs in those fields. Maybe Smith, whose district has received $8.27 billion in federal farm subsidies since 1995, doesn’t think those are good jobs for Americans.

Video: Eric Cantor/YouTube.

See Also:

• U.S. Leading Charge on Synthetic Biology Funding
• Senate Passes Science-Slim Budget, Funding “Crisis” Feared
• New Site Tracks How Stimulus Dollars Flow to Science
• Chicago Planetarium’s $3M “Overhead Projector”

Brandon’s Twitter stream and reporter’s notebook; Wired Science on Twitter.

Authors: Brandon Keim

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