David Kaiser, an MIT physicist and historian of science, delves into the complex dynamics between funding and scientific progress throughout history. He discusses how financial backing has shaped physics from the era of Galileo to today, highlighting the Cold War's influence on research. Kaiser also sheds light on the ethical dilemmas of private versus government funding, the evolution of grant applications, and the drastic funding fluctuations in physics from the 70s to the 90s. His insights reveal a fascinating yet challenging reality facing modern science.
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Galileo's Funding
Galileo cleverly secured funding from the Venetian Senate by presenting the telescope as a military device.
Later, he became the court philosopher for the de Medicis, primarily to enhance their image.
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Patronage in Early Science
Patronage from nobility, like Tycho Brahe's island observatory, was the typical funding model during the scientific revolution.
Scientists like Kepler maintained their positions through activities like horoscope casting, demonstrating the varied expectations of their roles.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Newton's Career Shifts
Isaac Newton, while known for his time at Cambridge, did much of his revolutionary work during a plague-induced break.
Later, as Master of the Mint, his focus shifted from physics research to prosecuting counterfeiters.
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This 24-part course delves into the fascinating world of gravity, covering topics such as black holes, tides, and curved spacetime. It follows the historical development of gravitational theories, from Galileo and Newton to Einstein and modern astrophysics. The course also touches on the accelerating expansion of the universe due to dark energy and the ongoing quest for a unified theory of gravity and quantum mechanics.
Quantum Legacies
David Kaiser
Alan Lightman
In *Quantum Legacies*, David Kaiser delves into the ongoing quest to understand space, time, and matter through a series of engaging essays. The book explores how physicists have grappled with the bizarre concepts of quantum theory amidst significant social and political changes over the past century. It highlights the contributions of influential figures like Einstein, Schrödinger, and Hawking, and illuminates the deep ties between scientific exploration and the human condition.
Science costs money. And for a brief, glorious period between the start of the Manhattan Project in 1939 and the cancellation of the Superconducting Super Collider in 1993, physics was awash in it, largely sustained by the Cold War. Things are now different, as physics — and science more broadly — has entered a funding crunch. David Kaiser, who is both a working physicist and an historian of science, talks with me about the fraught relationship between scientists and their funding sources throughout history, from Galileo and his patrons to the current rise of private foundations. It’s an interesting listen for anyone who wonders about the messy reality of how science gets done.
David Kaiser received a Ph.D. in physics, and a separate Ph.D. in history of science, from Harvard University. He is currently Germeshausen Professor of the History of Science in MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society, Professor of Physics in MIT’s Department of Physics, and also Associate Dean for Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) in MIT’s Schwarzman College of Computing. He has been awarded the Davis Prize and Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society, was named a Mac Vicar Faculty Fellow for undergraduate teaching at MIT, and received the Perkins Award for excellence in mentoring graduate students. His book Quantum Legacies: Dispatches from an Uncertain Worldis available April 3.
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 