Science & Public Policy

Although American basic science has been spectacularly successful, and its rate of discovery shows no sign of slackening, it would not be hard to conclude that American science policy is in crisis. Immense sums of money have been wasted on aborted basic research projects—more than $50 million on a big-dish radio telescope that was never built, more than $30 million on a Mohole that was never dug, and more on many smaller projects. Even larger sums have been wasted on applied research and development projects. (Let me give just a few figures, since this review is concerned primarily with the politics of pure science. The Defense Department estimates that between 1943 and 1966, $4.8 billion was spent on various missile systems that were abandoned while in progress or upon completion. 4 About $10 million was spent on a nuclear propelled rocket before the decision was made to abandon it, 6 more than $1 billion is likely to be spent on a supersonic space transport that may not really...