The Science Race

um no, not unless you prefer to live under the illusion of some 'us/them' false dichotomy.

I'll take that question as rhetorical.

Arnold, What I think you're getting at is the difference between the origination of ideas (pure science, basic technology), and their commercialization. They are different skills, but the path from an idea to viable commercial products requires that scientists, technologists and product engineers are able to share information freely -- hence a degree of vertical integration from pure research to commercial products. I think that's why Silicon Valley is still very much a place, and not just a state of mind.

There is no competitive advantage to blowing up any labs, but the minefields of the future will be found where countries try to wall off parts of the process, such as the recent Chinese attempt to dictate wireless standards for their home market.

There is a national security consideration for both basic science and technology. The farther ahead we are in both the less it costs us to defend ourselves because our rivals are going to have militaries that are technologically less advanced.

AS a pHD biologist I can personnally attest that it is not the lack of interest in the sciences, rather the availability of good jobs that hold back the sciences in America.