Basic science must come before commerce, says leading physicist

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One of the world’s most influential physicists has told gathering of Canadian scientists that “basic” science here should be free from commercial influence.

Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director of the European particle physics lab CERN, told an audience of scientists that they will make their best discoveries when no one is pushing them for an immediate product to sell.

“I am really convinced that fundamental science has to be independent of any hidden agenda,” he said Thursday at the annual Canadian Science Policy Conference.

It’s a controversial theme. Many Canadian scientists complain that government controls are pushing them to develop too many commercial products. They want to do basic science — pursuing new ideas, not designing better widgets.

While pure basic research, innovation and technology form a circle, “the basis of the circle is fundamental science. And that cannot have any commercial influence,” Heuer said.

“If it is paid by the private sector then there is always some commercial influence behind it.

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“Fundamental research has to be blue-sky research. It also has to contain research that has … risk of failure — not because we are not good, but risk of failure because it is at the forefront, where you cannot predict” how it will turn out.

“If you don’t have projects which fail, then you are not at the forefront.”

The commercial application of such work “can come later,” he said.

Heuer is speaking from experience when he talks about taking risks. Under his leadership, CERN and its Large Hadron Collider have run one of the most famous pieces of research in modern times, finding evidence of the Higgs boson, a particle of matter never observed before.

Heuer also has deep roots in Canada. He has travelled here many times and worked closely with Canadians for much of his career. Canada has built equipment for CERN and, for years, has sent scientists there.

Nigel Lockyer, director of the U.S. particle physics lab Fermilab, also argued for the scientist’s freedom to investigate without a commercial goal.

“I agree completely with Rolf. You shouldn’t try to predict too much what comes out of it,” he said.

He noted that the World Wide Web began (at CERN) with no thought of trying to establish today’s Internet economy.

Heuer and Lockyer were part of a panel discussion sponsored by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

tspears@ottawacitizen.com

TomSpears1@twitter.com



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