Blue skies research

Blue skies research (also called blue sky science) is scientific research in domains where "real-world" applications are not immediately apparent. It has been defined as "research without a clear goal"[1] and "curiosity-driven science". It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term "basic research".[2] Proponents of this mode of science argue that unanticipated scientific breakthroughs are sometimes more valuable than the outcomes of agenda-driven research, heralding advances in genetics and stem cell biology as examples of unforeseen benefits of research that was originally seen as purely theoretical in scope. Because of the inherently uncertain return on investment, blue-sky projects are sometimes politically and commercially unpopular and tend to lose funding to research perceived as being more reliably profitable or practical.[3]

  1. ^ Bell, David (2005). Science, Technology and Culture. McGraw-Hill International. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-335-21326-9.
  2. ^ Linden, Belinda (February 29, 2008). "Basic Blue Skies Research in the UK: Are we losing out?". Journal of Biomedical Discovery and Collaboration. 3 (1): 3. doi:10.1186/1747-5333-3-3. PMC 2292148. PMID 18312612.
  3. ^ Henderson, Mark (September 19, 2005). "Politics clouds blue-sky science". The Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2010.