Why fund science ?

Answer: For love and money.

Love: Why do we devote so much time and money to music, literature, art, and sports? Because they enrich the human soul. They make life more interesting and enjoyable. So does climbing a mountain to see what's there on the other side. And so does discovering the mysteries of this universe.

Money: Love is great but we also know we should eat. We need to invest in science because it is engine for our technology based society.Consider the country described below:

• The average life expectancy is 47 years.

• The average worker earns $300 per year.

• Only 8% of homes have a telephone.

• Cross-country phone calls cost $4 per minute.

• Only 14% of homes have a bathtub.

• There are no TVs, cell phones, or computers.

• There are only 144 miles of paved roads.

• Only 6% of the population graduates from high school.

• Only 10% of all its physicians have any college education.

Do you want to know which third world country is this ? Economists estimate that 25% of our society's progress results from capital investment, e.g. buying a second mule to plow more land and grow more food. They estimate 75% of our progress results from the advance of science and technology, e.g. inventing tractors to replace mules.

To improve all our lives, we must invest in science.

The above mentioned country is United States of America in 1904. We must all understand that its success today is because of investment in "SCIENCE"

Source:

"Einstein for everyone" by R obert L.