In Brief In a video shared by Bill Gates, Broad Institute director Eric Lander warns that the decline of support for private and public research sectors could lead to the U.S. falling behind as a global leader in research and innovation. The Miracle Machine

They say theres no alternative to hard work, butmost researchers probably wouldnt turn down the opportunity for more collaborative research thatswell-funded.Thats the philosophy behindwhat theBroad Instituteat MIT calls the Miracle Machine. The Miracle Machineproduces amazing advances in science and technology as a result of federal support an funding forthe public and private sectorsof the research community. However, as a video narrated by Broad Institute director Eric Lander explains, one of Americas greatest assets is falling into disrepair.

Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates retweeted Landers post that linked to the video, echoing some of its major points. One of which is that research can do wonders for the economy, health, energy, and defense of the United States or any nation for that matter.

Unfortunately, federal support for research has been dwindling. Over the past decade, funding for a number of research institutions has been on the decline, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which has lost 25 percent of its budget over the past 13 years. The most recent budget proposed by the U.S. Congresswouldnt do much to improve those number, either.

In the same way that this private and public sector partnership pushed basic scientific research forward, much to the benefit of many sectors in the U.S., the decline in federal support will have a ripple effect across several industries. We may wake up to find the next generation of technologies, and industries [] are being produced elsewhere, Lander points out in the video. With Europe, China, Dubai, and other nations investing more in scientific research rather than less, it isnt a stretch to think that the U.S. could fall behind.

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MIT Professor Gives A Dire Warning to the US About Funding Science - Futurism