{The Haldane Principle}[29th August 1990]

[Redbook7:269][19900829:0026c]{The Haldane Principle}[29th August 1990]

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19900829.0026

[continued]

[A press-cutting from The Independent for 900828 (letters) inserted here in the ms, headed ‘Long-term value of research’, consisting of a letter from Professor Peter Fellget, FRS, includes the following passages: ‘Often no one can know the importance of such [fundamental] research until decades, or perhaps half a century or so, have passed.’ ‘It is logically inescapable that any attempt to judge fundamental research must favour problems that have already been recognised over those yet to be identified. Such attempts, therefore, direct resources towards the last problem and away from the next problem, which itself can be identified only be research. There is a tried and tested solution, known as the Haldane Principle, to this dilemma. According to this, in any community there will only be a very small proportion of people who, by years of study and intense motivation, are able and willing to undertake the very demanding discipline of original research. The value of their work to the community may be incalculable. Therefore a civilised society will freely give to people qualified and motivated in this way, as a matter of right and of public interest, modest but sufficient resources for their work. And lest it be thought that such a policy, which was applied in the past, should today be prohibitively expensive, the amount the country invests in pure research is but a fraction of what is wagered on horses or football.’]

*

*[cf [Redbook7:226-229][19900823:1142]{The Middle Classes}[23rd August 1990]ff]

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