Professor tells of benefits of science for its own sake

DUBAI // Investment in science for its on sake rather than financial gain is key for any real human development, renowned scientist Prof Brian Greene told the summit yesterday.

Prof Greene – particle physicist, cosmologist, professor of physics and mathematics, and director of the Centre for Theoretical Physics at Columbia University, told how such an approach had already benefited the world.

At a session entitled, How Advanced Science Shapes the Future of Government, he highlighted an experiment, first conducted 90 years ago, which demonstrated how human life continues to benefit from mankind’s “deep yearning to understand the universe”. That experi- ment, in which light were passed through two slits on to a viewing screen, led to the discovery that particles also have wavelike qualities.

“This discovery allowed us to then build integrated circuits – a breakthrough that informs our modern world through mobile phones and more,” he said.

“If you follow any chain of disruption back to its source you will inevitably run into basic science. It is not pursued for investment but for intrinsic interest.

“The real fuel for growth is an investment in basic science. It creates a pervasive culture of innovation. It distinguishes countries that will follow and those that will lead.”