Join us in building a new model for funding basic research
Basic science is the foundation of our modern world and deserves ongoing investment in the interest of the public good. To this end, today we are officially launching The Science Foundation, a non-profit that will support basic science by the people, for the people. You can learn more about our project here and support us by donating here!
Humans – and indeed many animals – are born with an innate curiosity about the world around them. Some of this instinct is linked to survival, such as the need for food, but much of it is just that – curiosity. Basic science – also called “discovery”, “curiosity”, or “blue sky” science – harnesses our innate curiosity for the universe large and small. How many questions come to mind just by looking around us with an open mind – why do stars twinkle? Why are leaves green? How do snails move? How do our eyes and ears work? Basic scientists want to answer “how” and “why” questions about the world around us, whether visible or invisible, living or not.
Why should we invest in our fellow humans’ curiosity? Partly, so we can all share in the bounty of our collective knowledge. The ancient library in Alexandria, Egypt was meant to contain “all knowledge” and by fact or legend, gave rise through its role as a center of scholarship to many inventions such as the steam engine and water pump. Today, equally, our public commons of knowledge is a resource for all, whether to design a new medical treatment, find a new way to capture energy, improve planetary health, or simply to know how things work or where they came from.
Many of the things we take for granted today, have their origins in an amazing discoveries in times gone by. For example, thousands of years ago the number zero was invented, it wasn’t just “there”. Today, some of the newest phenomena, such as self-driving cars, tap-to-pay, plant-based foods that can nearly mimic animal products, and virtual reality, will seem ordinary in just a few years, as human curiosity pushes into the next realm of the unknown.
A recent survey found that 7 in 10 Americans believe that science “benefits people like me” and 94% use scientific information weekly. Whether you love basic science just because it’s science and it’s cool, whether you are a fan because of how it plays out in health, lifespan, convenience, entertainment, or in human dignity and well-being, or whether you believe in the human need to forever build a foundation of knowledge, you can make a difference in how much science there is in the world. Supporting The Science Foundation with a donation of any size – $5, $20, $100, $1,000, … – will directly translate into more research projects funded and help us build an open, efficient, publicly engaged project review process. Please donate today and tell us why science matters to you by posting on your favorite socials with #iheartscience.
Crossposted from https://scifdn.substack.com/p/introducing-the-science-foundation