Cynthia: Corporations amply fund research that generates marketable new technologies  But the fundamental goal of science is to achieve a comprehensive knowledge of the workings of the universe  The government should help fund those basic scientific research projects that seek to further our theoretical knowledge of nature  Luis: The basic goal of government support of scientific research is to generate technological advances that will benefit society as a whole
So only research that is expected to yield practical applications in fields such as agriculture and medicine ought to be funded
A proposed study of the effects of chemical fertilizers on crops, for the purpose of developing more-resistant and higher-yielding breeds, should not receive government funding.