在今年夏天，一项全面的皮尤（Pew）民意调查发现，有48％的美国人希望增加联邦科学研究资金（从四年前起11分），并且只有12％的人想看到削减，就业市场和科技界收到了一些好消息。在几乎没有想法在这种公众支持附近的任何地方都享受的时候，很明显，我们已经准备好进行研究和发展的投资繁荣，可以增强我们整个经济。
不t all of this funding needs to come from Congress. We’re living in an age when Elon Musk and other entrepreneurs are building public-private partnerships with federal agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to achieve more than either party could achieve alone. Between supportive government agencies, strong backing from academia and a private sector willing to make necessary investments, the U.S. is primed to see the kind of job-creating tech boom we haven’t seen in decades.
除非每个部门都同意更紧密地合作，集中资源并创造性地思考互惠互利目标，否则这种增长不会发生。这就是为什么诸如物理等核心科学领域的最新事件如此令人兴奋。
在几十年的时间里，国会已授予约11亿美元的资金，以建造和资助一个名为“激光干涉仪重力波”天文台（LIGO）的项目。Last year, in a spectacular proof of some of Albert Einstein’s fundamental theories about the nature of the universe, LIGO—with the technology and expertise available at partnering institutions such as Cal Tech, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and my company, Parsons—detected the existence of gravity waves, a discovery that earned three of its key U.S. researchers the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics.
Ligo的结果被广泛认为是我们对现实的理解中的新篇章，例如，恒星的生命周期，当黑洞碰撞以及甚至可能在宇宙最早发生的事情发生时发生了什么。Ligo并不是同类产品的唯一进步。We’re just now at the beginning of a phenomenon some are calling “the quantum internet,” in which communication is made not with electronically transmitted ones and zeros but with packets of light photons that allow for unbreakable encryption—an instant plus for anyone concerned about privacy and information security. Quantum computing also will allow for artificial intelligence to advance to Deep Learning, and that’s a technological evolution of astounding possibilities.
Potential contributors to these kinds of world-changing discoveries should understand just how valuable they are in every sense. Think of research as the necessary first step in producing a consumer product or service, and then think of it as its own branch of economic activity. Many research programs that lead to breakthroughs with positive applications have specific technical and engineering needs, unique infrastructure requirements and sometimes demand a lot of room to work. These programs are very good for the economy.
LIGO项目take just one example, is run jointly at detection centers in Hanford, Wash., and Livingston, La., where they will employ people for years to come as the project teams continue their work. Who knows where the members of the LIGO team would have ended up had several partners not provided key funding and technical expertise? And who knows what the raw materials of the LIGO discoveries will become as tech-savvy entrepreneurs begin to absorb the lessons learned?
幸运的是，到目前为止，国会和联邦机构已经了解了研究的重要性。在一项深远和远见的决定中，国家科学基金会在1990年代初创建了一种资金机制，专门涵盖科学家的设备和操作空间的成本。国会每年将钱拨款到此帐户。
But we can’t and don’t need to rely solely on federal funds for research and development.
我们需要从准备提供它们的任何和所有来源的更多此类投资：华盛顿，私营部门和学术界。
Cutting back on scientific research will only hurt us in the long run.
Together, we can keep America at the forefront of discovery and at the forefront of the global economy—where we are today and where we can remain with the right support.
Charles L. “Chuck” Harrington is chairman and CEO of Parsons and tweets at @clh001 and @ParsonsCorp.
如果您有专栏的想法，请联系观点编辑Richard Kormankormanr@新利luckenr.com。
