Something to read.....

Check it out -  a recent article by Nobel laureate Steve Weinberg on the problems facing big science.  It might be noted that the article is very US-oriented, which is only fair as Prof. Weinberg is here in the US.  Still, something that we all should read.

Try to think of the major scientific efforts that have been started or completed in the last 10 years here in the US.  OK, there is that entire NSLS-II project presently going on at Brookhaven which is supposed to run not quite a full $1 billion dollars.  OK, there was also the LCLS at SLAC (the free electron laser which came online a few years ago).  Well, just so no one accuses me of a totally horrible memory, the SNS at Oak Ridge was just shy of $1.4 billion and started up a couple of years back (and they're still building the full complement of instruments to go with the source). 

Hmm.  Maybe we're not neglecting "big science" after all.   If anyone has thoughts as to how to resolve this conundrum, they would be welcomed!