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> Civilian research will always be used by military It goes both ways, and military applications create market pressures and timescales that wouldn't normally
by qppo 6y ago
> Civilian research will always be used by military
It goes both ways, and military applications create market pressures and timescales that wouldn't normally exist. Take for example, sustained fission, computing, or the semiconductor industry as a whole (which was subsidized by the government in its early years for aerospace applications, some civilian and some not).
But that said it's more about industrial capacity than research. We build planes and tanks not because we need them today, but because we might need the ability to build them tomorrow. Continued research on military applications prevents institutional knowledge from dying and tools from rotting.
- godelski 6y ago> It goes both ways, >> They complement one another too. >> One helps the other. The reverse direction is slower though because it is often held close to the vest for a bit of time. Glad we agree > We build planes and tanks not because we need them today, but because we might need the ability to build them tomorrow. I also agree. I'm not sure why people think I am saying to not build tanks and planes during peace time. I just think we should be funding civilian science more and that the military benefits from such research. I haven't really disagreed with all these people "disagreeing" with me.