From New Scientist:
The UK’s science minister, Paul Drayson, gave a speech in Oxford on the future of science in the UK a few days ago. It is worth taking stock of his central message, one which has been made since the days of Margaret Thatcher: how can we make money out of science?
He is a real science minister, clearly not rolling over in front of the discredited economic rent-a-wizards who think the best way out of a downturn is to pay more bonuses and cut investment in science and education. Unlike his opposite number, he is yet to promise major cuts in science.
Drayson outlines the intimate links between some great science and various industries, including the business in which he made his fortune. He points out how addressing practical problems benefits…