In the United States, the National Institutes of Health spends roughly $30 billion a year, and the National Science Foundation adds another $7 billion. As officials decide how that money is to be spent, they would be wise to glance in the rear-view mirror and fund the basic research that keeps science moving forward.
政府投入研究的资金量是巨大的。在美国，国家卫生研究院（National Institutes of Health）每年支出约300亿美元，而国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）也会投入70亿美元。在官员们决定如何花钱的时候，明智的做法是看一看后视镜，把钱投给不断推动科学进步的基础研究。