title: Science for the "haves".
abstract: For centuries, the wisdom of the West of investing in basic science and technology led to its dominance in world politics and economics. Today, this wisdom is being put aside: fundamental research is losing its appeal to funding agencies and as a professional asset for job hunters. This state of affairs could exacerbate a dearth of innovations and lead to a transition of the "haves" into the "have-nots" of the world population.
authors.affiliation: Arthur Amos Noyes Laboratory of Chemical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 91125, USA. zewail@caltech.edu
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zewail
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zewail