Wealth of Science

Phil Plait has an excellent post: Wealth of Science:

Then the author said something that literally startled me:

"Scientists, till recently at least, effectively donated the wealth they created."

He's absolutely right. Again, wealth is not the same as money. Scientists take a relatively small amount of money (compared to, say, the cost of an attack helicopter or the building of a bridge) and turn it into wealth. Knowledge. Understanding. A brief moment of awe in the public when they grasp a little bit more of the Universe.

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