New Zealand's government has announced that it will cut all funding for social sciences and humanities from the NZ$75 million Marsden Fund, traditionally allocated for fundamental science and blue-sky research. The decision is rooted in a shift towards prioritizing research with direct economic benefits, raising concerns in the academic community about the implications for social sciences research, which contributes to understanding complex societal issues like poverty and crime. Many commenters express mixed feelings: some see the necessity of focusing on economically useful research, while others argue that cutting social sciences funding presents a significant setback for holistic knowledge production. The overarching sentiment reflects discontent at the political process influencing such fundamental changes in research funding, with some calling for a reevaluation rather than an outright cut of social sciences support.