It’s a relatively recent tradition. Serious government funding of basic research didn’t start until after WW2, as near as I can tell, anywhere in the world.
It goes back much, much further. Newton was appointed to the royal mint, Leibniz worked for several rulers, Galileo was directly funded by the rulers of Florence,etc (I specifically named people from what I consider to be the beginning of science). The tradition in democratic governments dates back to WW2, but the tradition itself is much older.
Also I am skeptical that “basic” and “applied” research is a useful distinction these days. A large fraction of science funding goes to biology and medical research
The difference between “applied” and “basic” is the difference between biology and medical research. While biomed is booming, its incredibly hard to get a job as a biologist (Douglas Prasher is the norm, not the exception).
It goes back much, much further. Newton was appointed to the royal mint, Leibniz worked for several rulers, Galileo was directly funded by the rulers of Florence,etc (I specifically named people from what I consider to be the beginning of science). The tradition in democratic governments dates back to WW2, but the tradition itself is much older.
All those people had government funding, but with the possible exception of Galileo, it wasn’t funding “for basic science.”
The one I know most about is Newton, and the example seems clearly misleading here. When he went to the mint he was already well-established and had done much of his important scientific work. (The Principia came out in 1687, and Newton went to the mint in 1696.) Moreover, this wasn’t a funding source for scientific pursuits. He devoted a huge amount of time and energy to running the mint, including personally investigating and prosecuting counterfeiters. (See Thomas Levenson’s entertaining Newton and the Counterfeiter.)
Leibnitz, as near as I can gather from wikipedia was there to be an ornament to the court of Hannover, but it’s not at all clear that they cared about his scientific or mathematical achievements. Can you point me to something specific?
Galileo was a professor, so I suppose that counts.
I grant that governments and rulers have funded philosophers and professors, for a long while. But big-money research, with billion-dollar budgets and massive labs with thousands of researchers is much newer.
The difference between “applied” and “basic” is the difference between biology and medical research. While biomed is booming, its incredibly hard to get a job as a biologist (Douglas Prasher is the norm, not the exception).
I don’t think this is strong evidence for “insufficient funding.” In the US, and to some extent elsewhere, research money is channeled towards graduate student assistantships and fellowships, and away from full-time mid-career researchers. As a result, regardless of the total degree of funding, the population of researchers is skewed towards young people. In consequence, there is a fierce competition for permanent jobs.
The one I know most about is Newton, and the example seems clearly misleading here. When he went to the mint he was already well-established and had done much of his important scientific work.
Previous to the mint post, Newton was lucasian professor at Cambridge and received patronage from the royal society, of which he later became president. The Royal Society was founded with the blessing of (and supported financially by) the king, with the stated purpose of “advancing knowledge.”
The French Royal Academy, instead of being simply patronized by the government was created entirely as an organ of government.
Leibniz, while a court “ornament” was supported so that he could do his research, and his patrons supported other scientists at court for the same purpose. Galileo received generous patronage from the Medicis.
Sure, the political purpose probably was more about prestige then research, but ’d argue that funding basic research is always about prestige (in the Hanson sense), even in the post-ww2 democracies. The stated purpose, however, was basic research and it clearly began a tradition that continues to this day of government patronized basic science research.
Can we agree that my statement that government traditionally funds basic research is accurate?
I don’t think this is strong evidence for “insufficient funding.
What would you consider evidence of insufficient funding? My point stands- funding for biomedical is large and growing, funding for basic biology is smaller and flat or shrinking. This leads to huge career differences between medical and biological researchers (the between field differences can’t be explained by the structure of the organization that funds both fields). The NIH’s budget doubling in the 90s went almost entirely towards applied medical research.
The other big push in that direction comes from universities, who relatively recently noticed that licensing patents to industry is big business.
It goes back much, much further. Newton was appointed to the royal mint, Leibniz worked for several rulers, Galileo was directly funded by the rulers of Florence,etc (I specifically named people from what I consider to be the beginning of science). The tradition in democratic governments dates back to WW2, but the tradition itself is much older.
The difference between “applied” and “basic” is the difference between biology and medical research. While biomed is booming, its incredibly hard to get a job as a biologist (Douglas Prasher is the norm, not the exception).
All those people had government funding, but with the possible exception of Galileo, it wasn’t funding “for basic science.”
The one I know most about is Newton, and the example seems clearly misleading here. When he went to the mint he was already well-established and had done much of his important scientific work. (The Principia came out in 1687, and Newton went to the mint in 1696.) Moreover, this wasn’t a funding source for scientific pursuits. He devoted a huge amount of time and energy to running the mint, including personally investigating and prosecuting counterfeiters. (See Thomas Levenson’s entertaining Newton and the Counterfeiter.)
Leibnitz, as near as I can gather from wikipedia was there to be an ornament to the court of Hannover, but it’s not at all clear that they cared about his scientific or mathematical achievements. Can you point me to something specific?
Galileo was a professor, so I suppose that counts.
I grant that governments and rulers have funded philosophers and professors, for a long while. But big-money research, with billion-dollar budgets and massive labs with thousands of researchers is much newer.
I don’t think this is strong evidence for “insufficient funding.” In the US, and to some extent elsewhere, research money is channeled towards graduate student assistantships and fellowships, and away from full-time mid-career researchers. As a result, regardless of the total degree of funding, the population of researchers is skewed towards young people. In consequence, there is a fierce competition for permanent jobs.
Previous to the mint post, Newton was lucasian professor at Cambridge and received patronage from the royal society, of which he later became president. The Royal Society was founded with the blessing of (and supported financially by) the king, with the stated purpose of “advancing knowledge.”
The French Royal Academy, instead of being simply patronized by the government was created entirely as an organ of government.
Leibniz, while a court “ornament” was supported so that he could do his research, and his patrons supported other scientists at court for the same purpose. Galileo received generous patronage from the Medicis.
Sure, the political purpose probably was more about prestige then research, but ’d argue that funding basic research is always about prestige (in the Hanson sense), even in the post-ww2 democracies. The stated purpose, however, was basic research and it clearly began a tradition that continues to this day of government patronized basic science research.
Can we agree that my statement that government traditionally funds basic research is accurate?
What would you consider evidence of insufficient funding? My point stands- funding for biomedical is large and growing, funding for basic biology is smaller and flat or shrinking. This leads to huge career differences between medical and biological researchers (the between field differences can’t be explained by the structure of the organization that funds both fields). The NIH’s budget doubling in the 90s went almost entirely towards applied medical research.
The other big push in that direction comes from universities, who relatively recently noticed that licensing patents to industry is big business.