In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump proposed a bold plan to send humans to Mars in about 10 years. While the idea may seem ambitious, it has the potential to make Americans more prosperous for decades to come. The federal government needs to fund research and development in areas such as next-generation telecommunications, computing equipment, and materials science.
The US has a proven track record of investing in basic scientific research, with significant returns on investment. The Human Genome Project, for example, generated an economic return of 141:1. Other notable examples include the development of digital recording technology, fluorescent lights, communications satellites, advanced batteries, lasers, GPS, and solar panels.
Despite this success, funding for federal science has decreased over the years. Three main issues hinder federal support: the Ester Dean Effect, where private companies benefit from government-funded research; the Bamboo Pattern, which refers to the lag between investment and societal return; and the Gila Monster Conundrum, where basic science is often ridiculed.
However, there is an opportunity for bipartisan agreement on funding basic R&D. The Trump administration’s focus on American economic competitiveness and Democrats’ desire for wins in a Republican-led Washington may lead to increased support for science. If this momentum can be maintained, it could result in long-term prosperity for Americans.
The authors of the article, Matt Robison and Ina Ganguli, are writers who bring diverse expertise to the topic, including economics and writing. The views expressed in the article are their own and aim to provide a balanced perspective on Trump’s Mars ambition.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/theres-huge-sneaky-bipartisan-win-hiding-plain-sight-opinion-2021756