There have been a few good posts recently on topics that I've discussed here a fair bit. I don't really have anything new to say on either topic, though, nor do I have the energy to repeat myself, so I'll just post the links:
- Gordon Watts on the collapse of corporate research labs, based on this article from The Economist. The original article is fairly positive about the triumph of D over R, but Gordon is a little more skeptical, and I am as well.
- Kevin Drum and Matt Yglesias on vouchers as union busting. Kevin also provides an illustrative example. It's rare to see things laid out so clearly.
Discovery does not occupy a PERT chart cell nor does it admit to parameterized DCF/ROI calculation. The future is invariably discovered by the undeserving. Obese professional management then takes over as its pimp, vigorously milking an underfed cow.
Results can be funded, research cannot. The first place to look for a bottleneck is at the top of the bottle. What kind of nation funds Head Start (slumbunny daycare) 20% above the National Science Foundation (all physical science support)? A self-interred nation. Invest in the future you desire, not in the future you abhor.
Ignorance is educable; stupidity is forever.