A few words

Considering Climategate, these words ring home:

In this revolution, research has become central, it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation�s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present � and is gravely to be regarded.

Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

Spoken 48 years ago on 17 January 1961 by outgoing President Dwight Delano Eisenhower. This is the same speech that has the warning against the military-industrial complex although to read it in context, it is a warning against crony capitalism and not against open-market capitalism -- there is a big big difference... UPDATE: Thanks to a comment from Dazed but Unfazed, his name at birth was David Dwight Eisenhower but he reversed the order when he entered West Point so it is Dwight David Eisenhower, not Delano. I was confusing him with his son Grandson David...