A response to Pallister’s power grab of higher education (a thread):

I’ve been mulling over what is the proper response to the recent news of our Premier redirecting post secondary education in our province to match “future economic needs.” Here it is: Lord Kelvin

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In 1900, at a prominent UK meeting of scientists, he is attributed with stating that “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.” There is some controversy about whether he actually said these exact words...

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...but the consensus was there. Physics was done. This was before quantum theory was developed and Einstein’s relativity. Scientists were encouraged not to go into physics because there was nothing left to do and no market value.

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There were hints that maybe new Physics could be discovered (“dark clouds” as Kelvin called them), but no one could have predicted the discoveries that came later. Our modern world of electronics hinges upon all of these discoveries (huge market value!).

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So my answer to Pallister is another question - if the best scientists in the world can’t predict where marketable research comes from, then how can you and your government? Fundamental research has value, and you can’t tell universities what they can and can’t study.

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For what it is worth, Kelvin also predicted that radio waves would be useless and airplanes would never be commercially viable. The experts can be spectacularly wrong.

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