Was there a ‘9/11-effect on science? In this article Mats Fridlund and I identify traces of the possible emergence of a a new ‘security-academic nexus’ between science, state and the security industry.
http://www.scienceprogress.org/2011/09/science-and-the-the-911-effect/
What do you think? Are we correct? Or would it be obvious that there would be an increase after such an event in society?
Regarding the other question: Wouldn’t an increase have to be expected, I think that there is a yes, and a no to answer. Yes, of course, scientists would be presumed to choose research areas which are hot, but on the other hand, No, there has to be both infrastructure and a large amount of (public and private) funds directed towards security research for scientists to be able to pursue that line of research. In fact, what we are reporting on is that there has been a great deal of money (billions, maybe trillions of dollars) towards security related, “anti terrorism” research, and also that the contribution from science towards the security-related government agencies and the military in a way that might not have a mirror in earlier times. Or if that is an over statement, it could be an indication of a new era where the military-industrial complex of the cold war is giving way to a ‘security-academic setting’ in the “War on Terror”. The last statement, of course is very tentative. The question that we end with, is if this setting is as good for science (as a free, uncontrolled enterprise) as it seems to be for the state. To me, that is really the question…