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This is just generally what happens when the government funds long term science experiments. My favorite example is the $1 Billion (inflation adjusted) MFTF-B f
by alexirobbins 12y ago
This is just generally what happens when the government funds long term science experiments. My favorite example is the $1 Billion (inflation adjusted) MFTF-B fusion experiment at LLNL, which was completed the same day the gov't canceled the project: 2/21/1986. It was never turned on.
- josephcooney 12y agoAny good counter-examples of private enterprise funding long term science experiments?
- kens 12y agoD. E. Shaw made a ton of money on Wall Street and then started a private biochemistry research company that's done a bunch of basic scientific research (including supercomputing) with many publications (including top journals like Science). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._E._Shaw_Research http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._E._Shaw_Research (I'm just mentioning this because it's interesting, not for any private-vs-government debating points.)
- alexirobbins 12y agoI do not mean to imply that pure capitalism is more efficient for scientific progress, just that massive waste is common when the government funds programs, and too often heart-wrenchingly so. Hopefully we can decrease it with better policy processes for medium to long term investments, and a more science literate population. In the meantime, there's a lot to learn from.