On government research grants and "waste."

[nadinbrzezinski]

There is this rising belief, thanks to right wing media, that research IS a waste. Well reality is that some things would simply have never seen the light of day if it wasn't for that investment in basic research. The MOST OBVIOUS of this is... the Web. When ArpaNet invested the seed money for that little project to link three universities, it was not only science fiction for most... if they could even conceive of it, but it was one of those things no sane investment officer at the giant tech companies of the day, would invest in. I mean, it was a dream.

Well, you and I are benefiting from that "government waste," and as we move more and more to believe that this is "waste" we are cutting our own nose to spite pur face. There is a reason why this kind of basic research is moving away from the US and to OTHER countries, chiefly to the EAST.

I wonder when will people who just love to spout this will realize... that no, we are NO LONGER issuing as many patents from basic research as oh China... yet another marker on our fall from super power status.

Oh and there is more, ACCESS... is far better in OTHER PLACES than in the US.

[tabatha]

1. Yep, research allowed the fat cats to profit in many instances

now, they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

[jwirr]

2. The government has been cutting research and development for

years now. Then we cut education and complain that we do not have any scientists to find the answers to a lot of our problems. It is a vicious circle. I can somewhat understand why many would think it is a waste however. All too much of the research is done here and the development is outsourced.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. We are now even soutsourcing research in certain fields

such as Bangalore for computer engineering

We have had more patents filed by chinese companies than US companies. That is NOT good.

[Booster]

3. I'm a little sour on medical research because I feel if you pay

people to find a cure for anything, they will never find it. Researchers looking for a way to treat diseases seem to be going full blast though because the pharmas make so much more money on treatment - they wouldn't make any money on a cure. Have we cured anything since polio in the '50's?

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Yes, the Statins have saved lives

New generations of antibiotics

We even have new generations of narcotics that are far safer.

Hell, even things like bionics have made advances that were science fiction just twenty years ago.

No, we have not cured anything like Polio, but if we stopped vaccinating people Polio will be back, like whoping cough has made a comeback.

I could also go into the diagnostic equipment, as well as the far less invasive surgical techniques that come from both lasers and computer science.

[Bobbieo]

6. Yes Nadin - Medical research has improved our lives, but I'm an Arizonan

and am watching Gov. Brewer snatch those benefits from us.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. She is not alone sadly

why we need single payer at the federal level

[bluestate10]

8. There are other examples.

Tang, cell phones, health imaging systems, cancer treatment innovations, common electrical service to rural communities. Private companies don't fund the less than 50-50 chance projects that will produce the next big product, or medical procedure. Some forward looking, purpose driven venture capital companies are taking up the mantel and funding projects that would not get funded by business, but the scope of the venture capital is often narrow and often bypass the eccentric working in his or her basement on the next big environmental waste abatement tool or green energy revolution.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Yep, I just used the MOST OBVIOUS one that we all use

every day... that would not have gone anywhere if it was a private thing only.