"Public funding for science is frozen or being cut, private R&D labs are shuttering their doors, and companies are increasingly concerned with quarterly results at the expense of long term research."
It also has a lot to do with the Bayh-Dole Act and the privatization of research. For-profit research centers are one of the fastest growing areas of the economy. While more public funding would certainly help, the real issue is that under Reagan science became privatized. If there were less research but if it were still high quality, we'd be much better off.
>the real issue is that under Reagan science became privatized.
and science in America in the 19th century was funded how? Because we sure didn't have the NIH, NSF, NIST, DOE, DARPA, or any of these organizations then.
Even into the 20th century: For example, most of Irving Langmuir's research (in both applied and basic science) was conducted privately, long before Reagan. Same goes for luminaries such as Gilbert Lewis, Josiah Gibbs, Robert Millikan, etc.
It also has a lot to do with the Bayh-Dole Act and the privatization of research. For-profit research centers are one of the fastest growing areas of the economy. While more public funding would certainly help, the real issue is that under Reagan science became privatized. If there were less research but if it were still high quality, we'd be much better off.