Opinion: Investing in pure research is unpredictable but essential

Where will the next important research breakthrough come from? How will it revolutionize the way we live? It is impossible to predict. We can only be sure of where the journey begins: with a curious researcher testing and analyzing new, untried ideas and theories.
Fundamental research — research that has no immediate goal — underlies every great invention and every great economic change. It’s risky and unpredictable but it’s essential to the future.
When the federal Funda