Comment from Ethan Baker

[200.205, 200.340] To Whom it May Concern: I am a PhD Candidate at Boston University studying theoretical particle physics and cosmology, trying to understand the fundamental nature of the universe. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.202(e) and 200.220 that would restrict international scientific collaboration and isolate American scientists. The U.S. has invested substantially in international infrastructure like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the South Pole Telescope, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array, and many more. These are the most impactful experiments to my own work, which aims to better understand some of the most fundamental mysteries of Nature. Without US investment, these experiments would not exists and would greatly limit our ability to study the world around us. Also, scientists like myself would lose access to international collaborations, which substantially improves our training and helps us become scientific and technological leaders. Collaboration is the hallmark of modern science and helps Americans become scientific innovators. Much modern physics infrastructure (see above for a few examples) relies on large collaborations and is necessary to achieve scientific goals. Without these collaborations, Americans will be isolated, will be less productive, and will not be world leaders in science any longer.