Thread by @Noahpinion

Today's @bopinion post is for @benshapiro.

It is about science and Western Civilization.

bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…

The other day, Shapiro caused a stir by arguing that the ideas of experimental science, and of science-for-science's sake, are unique to the West (by which I assume he means America, Europe, and the Anglosphere).

theblaze.com/news/ben-shapi…

But the idea of experimental science didn't originate in Europe. Most people trace it to an Iraqi physicist working in Egypt in the 900s, named Hasan Ibn al-Haytham.

And in the modern age, science-for-science's-sake has hardly been an exclusively Western endeavor. Japan, for instance, does plenty of basic research.

At this point, a skeptic may ask, OK, so why does North Europe dominate the science Nobel prizes?

Well, maybe there's some cultural secret sauce there. But maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a bunch of Swedish folks awarding the prizes...

But OK, this discussion of "who invented science" isn't ultimately that important.

No one should deny that basic research done in the West has been EXTREMELY important in helping to enrich the citizens of Western countries - and of the entire planet - over the last 150 years.

The real problem is not that @benshapiro doesn't give credit to Hasan Ibn al-Haytham or whatever.

The real problem is that the United States is beginning to lose its respect for basic research.

Who does basic research?

Mostly, the government.

Corporate R&D has increased, but that's much more of the tinkering approach that @benshapiro talks about. Corporations just can't monetize basic research, so they don't do much of it.

And who has been trying to cut funding for basic research and science-for-science's-sake?

Republicans, pretty much.

scientificamerican.com/article/battle…

Donald Trump has sought to cut science funding even more.

nature.com/articles/d4158…

And Republican governors like Scott Walker have cut funding for research universities, where most of the best basic science is done.

politifact.com/wisconsin/stat…

Now, Republicans weren't always into cutting federal research spending. Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II all increased federal non-defense research spending!

What has changed in the last decade??

Maybe Republicans have identified universities as a cultural threat? Maybe they're trying to cut off funding to universities because they think they're the source of cultural liberalism?

thedailybeast.com/pew-most-repub…

Or maybe it's the climate change issue.

Conservatives have become increasingly unwilling to accept scientific facts related to climate change.

I wish that @benshapiro and others who extol the West's scientific greatness would persuade the conservative movement, and Republican leaders, to venerate science more!

Because that scientific lead won't just maintain itself. It must be actively maintained.

Bragging about Isaac Newton will do us little good if we turn away from Newton's legacy.

(end)