1. Why Pure Science?
- Author
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Weisskopf, Victor F.
- Subjects
SCIENCE & society ,PHYSICAL sciences ,RESEARCH funding ,PARTICLES (Nuclear physics) ,NUCLEAR research ,SCIENTIFIC knowledge ,SCIENTIFIC community ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations - Abstract
The article reflects on the pursuit of pure science by the scientific community in the U.S. Indications showed that this endeavor is becoming more and more expensive. The authors of this paper attempts to defend one special kind of pure science, the physics of elementary particles. This is the branch of physics that looks for the fundamental constituents of matter. They proposed that in any intelligent discussion of the impact of pure science in society, it must be based upon knowledge of the development of modern physics and of the role of the study of elementary particles in the history of science.
- Published
- 1965
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