Re: The National Labs

[OFFTOWY@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/3/2000 8:36:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
ruth_weiner@email.msn.com writes:

<< Many labs have large and expensive facilities to maintain which DOE funds
 only reluctantly and inadequately.
 
 The labs are forced to compete rather than collaborate.
 
 I could go on and on.  Does anyone have any ideas about this?
  >>

Only one.  I know this is heresy, but maybe more of this type of research 
should be undertaken by private industry rather than the goverment.  I am a 
bit of a libertarian (lower case "l"), but once the government is involved, 
it is impossible to separate the science and the funding from the politics.  
Politics is not an efficient method for controlling research.  This is not 
meant to denigrate the accomplishments of the national labs, but what might 
have been accomplished under another system?  More?  Less?  Let's try it and 
find out.

Lew LaGarde
e-mail - offtowy@aol.com
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html