[clue-talk] Send your ideas to Obama

[Angelo Bertolli]

Collins Richey wrote:
> On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 9:38 AM, David L. Willson <DLWillson at thegeek.nu> wrote:
>   
>> How do we keep politics out of science, when science is no longer privately funded?  I have an idea:  Get
>> government out of the business of funding research.  Let the companies do their own funding, ~then~ politics
>> and science will be separate.
>>     
>
> Sounds really cool, but you'll never get the party currently in power
> to agree. Even the party no longer in power might give only lukewarm
> support.
>
>   

So you guys would be in favor of shutting down things like NIH?  
Personally, I think there's room for some government sponsored institutions.

Business tends to be very short-sighted when it comes to producing 
things of societal value.  That's the way it should be when you focus on 
profit, but sometimes we need something that is willing to put money in 
that will benefit us further into the future and isn't always looking at 
the bottom line.  Even if there's a greater profit later (in terms of 
money), how long can a company possibly put off being profitable to 
achieve it?

I think the new space race is a perfect example.  Only now, are 
businesses even bothering because they see some profit in it.  That's 
fine.  But if we had waited for them, we'd be at least 40 years behind.  
Actually probably way more because without the lunar landings ~1970 we 
probably would care a lot less even now.


Angelo