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What is the actual return of the project itself though? You could also print money to build a tower of babel and it seems like the same general benefits would a
by ImprobableTruth 6y ago
What is the actual return of the project itself though? You could also print money to build a tower of babel and it seems like the same general benefits would apply.
- ceejayoz 6y ago> What is the actual return of the project itself though? A better understanding of the universe we live in?
- Barrin92 6y agothat's true for almost all human scientific or inventive activity, so the case for this has to be made in the face of opportunity costs. 21 billion could be spent on two hundred thousand(!) 100k grants to scientists. Building a giant machine to perform experiments that will likely merely confirm the existing models of particle physics while revealing very little of interest to society at large is pretty much indefensible.
- Gibbon1 6y ago> 21 billion could be spent on two hundred thousand The $1T F35 program has entered the chat.
- Barrin92 6y agoI agree with you. But then again the corruption/waste in military procurement/development is a well-known issue. I think paying strong attention to return per bucks is a mindset we need to reintroduce in every sector.
- Gibbon1 6y agoC21 Billion for a super collider can be considered perhaps to be a form of Nerd UBI. At least there isn't much in the way of negative externalizes with that vs building weapons. Consider US defense companies have been lobbying against congressional efforts to stop Saudi Arabia from bombing Yemen.
- d_tr 6y agoThis 21 billion will be spent on a similar project someday, anyway. This kind of research cannot just be written off... It is also nothing compared to (for example) the amount of money being spent by private companies on useless gimmicks. You are not paying for these directly with taxes, but you are paying indirectly anyway, if you think about it...