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Capitalist system does not seem to value scientific research well enough. Risk to reward ratio is very high.

• searine 6y ago
  There is a reason that scientific research was an aristocratic pastime for most of its history. The idea of a middle-class scientist is an invention of the mid-20th century, and not an enduring one. Even Einstein had to work as a patent clerk. Society will never highly value fundamental research because it cannot comprehend it, thus cannot ascribe a value to it.
  • xxpor 6y ago
    Even Bell Labs was really the result of government intervention.
    • 8bitsrule 6y ago
      Bell Labs. Many great ideas outta there. When they hired Jansky and he accidentally discovered radio astronomy. And nothing happened. But that led to the adventures of Grote Reber[0] (an inspiring figure). In 1937 the 26-year-old built a radio telescope dish in his backyard. A ham radio operator with a EE degree, he completed the first VHF survey of the sky - in his spare time. In 1939 he discovers Cygnus A. But his work 'fell between fields'. [1] During WW2 he works with John 'Big Ear' Kraus. In 1954 Reber moves to Tasmania (less radio interference, less Big Bang). Inspired by his results, in the 50s Ryle and Hewitt get busy at Cambridge. In 1974 they win a Nobel Prize. Down under, Reber just kept doing what he loved. P.S. Interesting coincidence: his mother had been a schoolteacher; one of her students: Edwin Hubble. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote%20Reber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote%20Reber [1] https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1611360 https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1611360 2003 Physics Today bio