[titzer]

Hard disagree. Public funds are absolutely for funding research into things that affect the public on a large scale. That's the whole point. What could be more "general welfare", as envisioned in the constitution, than making sure we are not screwing up our collective home?

[anigbrowl]

I think you meant to address this to someone else? I was saying it's not practical to leave it up to people volunteering, with all the uncertainty and unreliability of funding that that implies.