The National Science Foundation drew the disdain of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul who called out the foundation for studies he considers wasteful, according to an article from McClatcheyDC. The Kentucky Republican is a frequent critic of government spending.
In a report, Rand reportedly singles out several NSF studies including ones surrounding the gambling habits of Ugandans, the demographics of Wikipedia contributors and people’s tolerance of spicy foods. NSF Spokeswoman Aya Collins says Paul’s report “mischaracterizes a substantive body of research with significant scientific value,” according to the article. Collins goes on to say that the foundation would have appreciated the opportunity to provide the report’s authors with more information about the scope and significance of the foundation’s research. The studies cited reportedly represent less than a tenth of a percent of the foundation’s $7 billion annual budget.
Read the entire article here.