Chicago Tribune: Budget reality clouds Fermilab's day in sun

http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0503050222mar05,1,7632977.story?coll=chi-news-hed

"The excitement many Fermilab researchers felt on Friday
at the debut of a $180 million instrument to study the
fundamental properties of matter was dampened for some by
fears that it could be the storied facility's last major
project.

The physics research outpost has no solid plans or funding for
new ventures aside from the new experiment, called MINOS,
which will investigate little-understood subatomic particles
called neutrinos. Although many theoretical physicists say
their field is poised for its greatest leaps in knowledge
since Einstein, some experts say budget woes in the United
States mean the greatest discoveries of the future may happen
at new labs in Europe or Japan.

Morale among the 2,500 physicists and engineers at Fermilab
took a blow last month when the Bush administration canceled
the facility's only other planned big-ticket experiment--a
$200 million project to study a key mystery of the origin of
the universe. The administration cut the project unexpectedly,
citing a tight budget, even though the plans had passed
several scientific reviews.

One of that program's leaders said the move sends a chilling
message about the nation's commitment to places like Fermilab,
which use huge instruments to study the smallest bits of
matter and gain insight into the laws of nature."

Yet another area the US is losing its edge in...