Among shortcomings to be faced are projects that burden the National Science Foundation, rising costs of graduate science education, lack of coördination in attacks on social problems, and the poor flow of information from scientists to Congress.
THIRTY YEARS AGO research in physics in the United States was a remote concern of government. Graduate students in this then pure science were the original do‐it‐yourself leaders and had to become as adept at begging and borrowing as they were in making equipment. Then came the discovery of fission, the second world war and the nuclear chain reaction. You well know the rest of the story. Congress was so impressed with the enormous new power derived from the science of physics that it enacted one of the most extraordinary laws in our history—the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.
This article is only available in PDF format
References
1. Harvey Brooks, “Future Needs for the Support of Basic Research,” Basic Research and National Goals, A report to the Committee on Science and Astronautics, US House of Representatives, by the National Academy of Sciences, 77 (1965).
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
November 10, 2025 10:22 AM
This Content Appeared In
Volume 22, Number 10
Get PT in your inbox
PT The Week in Physics
A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.
One email per week
PT New Issue Alert
Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.
One email per month
PT Webinars & White Papers
The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.
