Rush Holt, CEO of The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Maria T. Zuber,  chair of the National Science Board and the E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and vice president for Research at MIT, recently made the case for basic research funding:

Looking back, it is sometimes easy to see how basic scientific research benefits our society and our economy. But, early on in the process of scientific discovery, it’s not always clear what research will result in life-changing innovations.

Read more: Neglecting research today threatens US innovation tomorrow