Sir, – David McConnell's excellent piece ("Science in crisis as scientists lose confidence in policy", Opinion & Analysis, April 2nd) on the crisis in Irish science policy reminds me of a story, perhaps apocryphal, told about the physicist Charlie Townes who died earlier this year. Charlie had been trying to understand molecules in space when he came home one day, produced a bottle of champagne, opened it and poured a glass for his wife and himself. His wife said: "Thank you, Charlie, but what are we celebrating?" He replied: "Well I finally got an experiment working in the lab and it has taken me ages." "Great", she said, "but what practical use is this experiment?" Charlie replied: "Do you know, I haven't a clue!"
Charles Townes had just invented the laser. Now think how far Charlie would have got in the current Irish science environment. – Yours, etc,
PROF TOM RAY, MRIA
Dublin Institute
for Advanced Studies,
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Section,
Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2.
A chara, – During the financial crisis, the science budget posed an understandable problem, not only economically, but also politically. The traditional economic approach in such circumstances is to pare back funding to match falling GDP. I don’t think scientists would overly complain if research funding was pegged to GDP, indeed such policy is at the heart of Europe 2020 targets committing EU member states to 3 per cent for research and development (R&D).
Instead the Government found an ingenious political solution and shifted science funding to low-risk, commercialisable research with a promise of jobs, and largely succeeded in protecting the budget. As Prof McConnell explains, this policy has led to a deeply polarised, demoralised scientific community and ultimately reputational damage to both Science Foundation Ireland and Irish science. Now may be a good time to reflect on the free lunch. – Is mise,
EOIN Ó COLGAIN, PhD
Port Jefferson,
New York.