Editing Science policy (section)

=== Utilitarian versus monumental science policy ===
[[Utilitarianism|Utilitarian]] policies prioritize scientific projects that significantly reduce [[suffering]] for larger numbers of people.  This approach would mainly consider the numbers of people that can be helped by a research policy.  Research is more likely to be supported when it costs less and has greater benefits.  Utilitarian research often pursues incremental improvements rather than dramatic advancements in knowledge, or break-through solutions, which are more commercially viable.

In contrast, monumental science is a policy in which science is supported for the sake of a greater understanding of the universe, rather than for specific short-term practical goals.  This designation covers both large projects, often with large facilities, and smaller research that does not have obvious practical applications and are often overlooked.  While these projects may not always have obvious practical outcomes, they provide education of future scientists, and advancement of scientific knowledge of lasting worth about the basic building blocks of science.<ref name=Vuong2018>{{cite journal|title=The (ir)rational consideration of the cost of science in transition economies|journal=Nature Human Behaviour|volume=2|issue=1|pages=5|date=January 1, 2018|doi=10.1038/s41562-017-0281-4|pmid=30980055|last1=Vuong|first1=Quan-Hoang|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Practical outcomes do result from many of these "monumental" science programs.  Sometimes these practical outcomes are foreseeable and sometimes they are not.  A classic example of a monumental science program focused towards a practical outcome is the [[Manhattan project]].  An example of a monumental science program that produces unexpected practical outcome is the [[laser]].  Coherent light, the principle behind lasing, was first predicted by Einstein in 1916, but not created until 1954 by Charles H. Townes with the [[maser]].  The breakthrough with the maser led to the creation of the laser in 1960 by Theodore Maiman.  The delay between the theory of coherent light and the production of the laser was partially due to the assumption that it would be of no practical use.<ref>Suplee, Curt (1999) ''Physics In The 20th Century'' Harry N. Abrams Inc, 58-63.</ref>