The National Science Foundation, which funds much basic research in American universities, is facing a budget cut of $ 283 million this year, eliminating (at) ~ 1000 research grants. It's a shame because over the years, many projects funded by the NSF led to discoveries that have become commercial products with significant benefits to society. Unfortunately, for those outside the scientific community, it is easy to forget these impacts when deciding where to cut spending. Here are some examples of why basic science deserves some respect.

• sad reality that funding basic research represents less than 1% of the federal budget. Even more sad is that the cutting of the small amount that the government spends on basic research will have little impact on the budgetary targets in the short term, but its negative effects on the economy will be felt for decades to future, which could cost thousands of U.S. dollars loss of future opportunities. [Url]

lasers are an example of how a basic scientific discovery may eventually lead to a revolutionary invention. The first laser was built in the 1950s, but the practical applications of the laser does not appear until decades later. Today, lasers are a multi-billion and is the key to most of the technologies used in the manufacturing, communications, medicine, entertainment and scientific research. [Url]

generate funds for basic scientific research affecting more young researchers. In fact, the brand new tenure track professors are somewhat isolated, because there is always something that is money. They are associate professors who feel the most, as they try to compete for grants against the entire population, including Nobel laureates, academics and national researchers established. [URL]


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