aceventura3

Yes, our government has invested in medical and technology research. Like I said in the market, our government is a consumer of scientific and technological advances.

Just a few companies I follow:

Genentech $1.5 billion in R&D last year.
Pfizer $7.6 billion.
Merck $4.7 billion.
Amgen $3.6 billion.
Johnson & Johnson $7.6 billion.

Microsoft $6.5 billion.
Intel $5.8 billion.

If we started adding up the sum totals of all companies, the amounts will easily surpass the government's investment. We can also look at countries with highly centralized governments in countries with high levels of restrictions on private investment in R&D, we would find very little inovations coming from those countries.

It is true the companies above have a profit motive, but they also have a motive to bring beneficial products to market. When that motive is missing, sometimes you get research for the sake of research.

I hope our government's investment in research is to bring forth useful information to benefit society, but I don't think that is always the case. I think one problem is that in order to qualify for government research grants in many cases you have to "sell" government bureaucrats and when you do there can be strings attached to the money or the money is given to serve some political purpose. Given limited resources "politics" often can be a factor on who gets funds.

If I were in Congress, I would want the major universities from my state to get their "fair" share of the funds, wouldn't you? Isn't that political?

I bet some would disagree.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches...wn_040621.html

In my lifetime, I think I will be able to go into space as a tourist.

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