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The entire U.S. system of public high tech investment is mostly done under the pretext of military spending. The military has specific objectives and is looking

by abalone 12y ago

The entire U.S. system of public high tech investment is mostly done under the pretext of military spending. The military has specific objectives and is looking for clear ROI, but that doesn't impair their ability to invest in core science. They just take a longer term view. Licensing core tech (instead of giving it away) is not the same as asking for direct returns. It's just giving the taxpayers their fair share of the eventual returns on their investment, instead of letting VCs collect it all.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
The whole space program was about developing ICBMs. WII led to huge technological advances (computers for one), etc... I'm not sure what the mix today is between military-oriented and social-oriented spending is. The fed obviously give lots of money to lots of research universities, medical oriented research with no obvious military applications coming up at the top of list.