How close is China really to becoming a superpower?

[Willem]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


I think LM's point is about basic vs application research.

There definitely has to be a distinction made. I certainly can't see a private firm setting up a multi-million dollar underground complex in order to capture a few stray neutrinos, or operating a particle accelerator somewhere. For any R&D involving strictly theoretical confirmation, governments are the only ones who will engage in it. Once enough is learned that some commercial applications can be envisioned, then the business corporations step in, but not before.