that it was fair to call the "Church" "government" in centuries past, especially in places where there were state religions. So, what did the church colleges and universities turn out in the centuries before the age of discovery and commerce? Why, Scholarstics! researching topics such as how many angels could dance on the tip of the pin. That's exactly what modern scientific researches are headed if we continue government funding. The masses of students going into global warming research in pursuit of easy government funding is just the tip of the iceberg.

Top universities like Oxford and Paris had 90+% students studying theology when the church hirarchy (i.e. government sinecures) provided the job opportunity. It was the high commercial returns ushered during the Age of Discovery and Commerce that turn the numbers around, and produced what we today call scientists, whose endeavors had direct impact on commercial success (or so it was hoped).

The theory about government being able to invest for the long-term is a sorry excuse for why there isn't anything worthwhile turning up yet. For a time in the early 90's, Japanese government was considered to be especially apt at investing R&D for the long term . . . so after hundreds of billions of dollars, what do they have to show for themselves? Missing both the internet revolution and the biotech revolution. Government can not handle long-term planning in scientific pursuit any more than they can in the economic sphere. Most R&D are driven by profit motives (ask any half-million a year professors heading the research projects); the rest has to rely on the natural curiosity of private human beings backed by voluntary donors. The more government/church involvement there is in buying talents with coerced money, the more bureaucratic waste of talents there will be.

posted by 24.91.39...

• OT: Space shuttle, Eric Law, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 05:53:10
  • Please..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:46:52
    • Re: Please..., EGD , Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:20:06
  • Re: OT: Space shuttle, brick8, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 12:09:07
  • I'll cheer..., nwas, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 08:34:19
    • It's been quite a while, AdamB , Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:33:51
      • Re: It's been quite a while, Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:49:37
    • I guess we should all still be living in caves......, MI-Roger , Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:06:57
      • That would be the result, Reality, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:56:06
        • Re: That would be the result, Eric Law, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:10:50
          • Re: That would be the result, Reality, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:37:54
            • Re: That would be the result, James, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 06:51:50
              • Re: That would be the result, Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:30:03
            • Perhaps..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:43:19
              • Re: Perhaps..., TML , Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:40:16
                • Yeah, Eric Law, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:12:02
                  • Made up facts indeed, Reality, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:03:30
                • Re: Perhaps..., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:43:36
                  • Furthermore, Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:20:09
              • Re: Perhaps..., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:06:32
                • Uh..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:39:02
                  • Re: Uh..., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:08:54
                    • Re: Uh..., kkelley, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:12:11
                      • Timinger problem, Reality, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:57:22
                        • Re: Timinger problem, kkelley, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:31:49
                          • "I took the initiative in creating the internet", Reality, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:27:25
                            • Re: "I took the initiative in creating the internet", kkelley, Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:46:08
                              • Re: "I took the initiative in creating the internet", Reality, Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:44:26
                                • Re: "I took the initiative in creating the internet", kkelley, Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:31:47
                                  • Re: "I took the initiative in creating the internet", Reality, Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:01:11
    • Agree!, Reality, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 16:36:58
      • Microwave, Comsat, GPS, Reality, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 19:11:59
        • oversimplifications..., James, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 06:38:03
          • Valuation depends on alternatives, Reality, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 07:15:30
            • if NASA had not existed..., James, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 10:18:32
              • Re: if NASA had not existed..., Reality, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:48:37
                • Re: if NASA had not existed..., AdamB , Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:27:51
                  • Re: if NASA had not existed..., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:30:39
                    • oh, and one more thing..., James, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:51:29
                    • Re: if NASA had not existed..., James, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:25:24
                      • Re: if NASA had not existed..., Reality, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:48:45
                • Re: if NASA had not existed..., James, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 03:47:19
                  • Re: if NASA had not existed..., Reality, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:10:56
                    • Re: if NASA had not existed..., James, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:39:19
                      • Re: if NASA had not existed..., Reality, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:17:23
                        • Re: if NASA had not existed..., James, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:36:29
                          • I actually agree . . ., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:29:36 <-- Viewing This Message
                            • Re: I actually agree . . ., James, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:33:09
                              • Re: I actually agree . . ., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:07:49
                                • oh, and one more thing..., James, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:35:12
                                • Re: I actually agree . . ., James, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 01:51:08
                                  • Re: I actually agree . . ., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:47:28
                                    • Re: I actually agree . . ., James, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:27:26
                                      • Re: I actually agree . . ., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:44:49
                                        • Re: I actually agree . . ., James, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:48:16
                                          • Re: I actually agree . . ., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:31:30
                • the only thing dumber that the moon trips..., nwas, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 16:59:06
                  • Whoops... that should have been, nwas, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 17:00:37
    • Re: I'll cheer..., TML , Fri, 8 Jul 2011 14:20:12
    • I think I can handle 0.5% of the federal budget, rob 96 aero, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 11:27:00
      • It's not a lot of money in the big picture. But..., Noel, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 05:20:49
      • Waste is Waste; It all needs to be cut, nwas, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 19:13:25
    • Re: I'll cheer..., NCCaniac , Fri, 8 Jul 2011 09:26:41

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