> hunting its top scientists [...] this discourages other scientists from following that career path
I take it you mean this literally (assassinations) rather than figuratively (getting hired by the competition).
> In recent years US has been hit so hard
Any evidence of this? Other than the storm in a cup that was the recent news of "dead scientists" that turned out to be a nothingburger.
The idea sounds very plausible and it happens again and again elsewhere (e.g. Israel keeps taking out Iranian scientists). But I haven't heard anything major from the US, and I doubt the US would take it lightly and keep everything quiet, especially with the current admin who would kill for more media distractions for the people.
They could just mean that foreign enrollment in US postgrad programs is down significantly, or other forms of specialized visas, etc.
Probably the conspiracy theory about scientists dying suspiciously, that’s just pure statistical noise
As opposed to the real hit on science by the sleeper cell of idiocy in the White House.
I took it to mean this. Nothing is more discouraging long-term than the prospect of not having any funding in the future.
People are definitely overhyping it, but a missing former Air Force maj. gen is kind of unusual, and "statistical noise" is kind of a funny oxymoron.
You don't normally hear about these things if/when they happen, there is no official reaction, and you don't normally hear about the retaliation, either.
That being said: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/21/us/deaths-disappearances-...