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Preferably in the billions of dollars. Nothing generates five sigma confidence levels like ten-figure budgets.


Sorry, do you think that fundamental physics gets more than other fields? Have you ever seen a breakdown of research budgets?


I don't have such a breakdown, but I do know that the budget of the LHC alone is a billion dollars a year plus $13B to build it. That wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for a long-term commitment.

And I know that few fields get that kind of commitment. Maybe cancer, maybe something in semiconductors. Lots of other fields would produce things if you offered them many years of billion-dollar commitments.

I'm not saying that it was wrong to give so much to fundamental physics. I'd just be very happy if we gave that level of funding to lots of other things.




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