Dr. Kenneth Hicks
Dr. Kenneth Hicks, Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Ohio University, authored a column in the Columbus Dispatch headlined “China poised to overtake U.S. in science, with major economic implications.”
I recently visited the offices of our Ohio senators and Columbus-area legislators as part of congressional visits organized by the American Physical Society (APS). The goal of these visits was to discuss the importance of science to the American economy.
One of the most striking graphs provided by the APS showed the growth of research and development funding in both the United States and China over the past 10 years. The funding in both countries has increased over time, but whereas U.S. funding increased about 2 to 3 percent per year, China’s funding has increased almost 10 percent per year. This year is projected to be the first year that R&D funding in China will be more than that of the United States.
Why is China investing so heavily in science, including basic research in astronomy and particle physics? The answer, as any economist can tell you, is that science is the driver of economic growth….
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