They will be greatly missed! I hope they do go and continue making the world a better place through science and education. Their work should continue unhindered and the EU would be all the better for it. Overall it's the best decision for those that have the opportunity.
Any European countries need a coder? I'd hop the pond and never look back.
This threatens to be a bigger brain drain than just elite University-level scientists. I know of several US IT professionals who are in the process of getting European citizenship through parent and grandparent eligibility. And some of these are moderate conservatives, not just liberals. There's a lot of unease at least on the coasts.
I'm weighing up moving back to the UK myself. After over two decades I had never felt the need to even consider this before now. Hopefully it won't come to that, not least because it would mean uprooting my entire family, it works be a big headache, and because I know the UK isn't a bed of roses right now either. But the way shit is rapidly unraveling here in the US, I might not have a choice in a few years.
I was in the Netherlands for a couple of years and it was great. I really want to move back but since I don't have a real degree, they probably won't give me a visa.
Plus I have a dog and idk about moving him 1/3 of the way across the planet.
I am staying here but I have checked out of the science job market for good. I’m not afraid of physical work and there is no way I will ever work to improve the orphan crushing machine ever again.
Which countries would be willing to accept an English-speaking engineer who loves to do engineery things for enough pay to have a roof and healthy diet?
Very much depends on your speciality in engineering - US engineering in some fields is world-class,in some fields it's,well, developing world. Very much depends on your field, therefore.
Salaries outside the US aren’t gonna be as high, but the cost of living is also much much lower. As a Brazilian, I actually save more than 50% of my salary (while having a middle class lifestyle), and was able to buy an apartment without any debt at 30.
Also if you go anywhere in Latin America you’ll see the average diet is quite healthy.
Unfortunately, my life isn't so simple to have the freedom to nomadically uproot like that...my free and casual 20s are long gone (not that they were all that free at the time, due to an obligatory work contract). It'll take a lot of elbow grease and creative thinking to find a way to emigrate if it comes to that...but I'll open up Duo Lingo for Portuguese to try that one out :)