If the closing of the Centre of the Universe isn鈥檛 another manifestation of the Harper government鈥檚 war on science, it certainly looks like it. For the want of $277,000 a year (not much more than the expenses Sen. Mac Harb must repay), the astronomy interpretive centre attached to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on West Saanich Road is being closed because of National Research Council budget constraints.
The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has consistently been at odds with the scientific community, with actions that include cutting research programs and restricting government scientists in publishing or speaking publicly.
In February, the University of Victoria鈥檚 Environmental Law Clinic and the non-profit Democracy Watch asked information commissioner Suzanne Legault to investigate the Harper government鈥檚 efforts to prevent media and the public from obtaining information from federal scientists.
鈥淭here are few issues more fundamental to democracy than the ability of the public to access scientific information produced by government scientists 鈥� information that their tax dollars have paid for,鈥� said Calvin Sandborn, legal director of the law clinic.
鈥淲e, as a society, cannot make informed choices about critical issues if we are not fully informed about the facts.鈥�
While the government has boosted investments in technology and research, the emphasis has increasingly been on applied science and developments that can show an economic gain.
Cutting funding for the Centre of the Universe is not a direct attack on science per se, but it closes a door to the world of science. The centre was not a profit-making institution, but in pointing young people and others toward careers in science, it had the potential to generate future profits for society, financial and otherwise.
Science and commerce are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they have a symbiotic relationship. Scientific research can lead to marketable products and developments that enhance commerce, which can in turn lead to more resources being available for research.
Among Louis Pasteur鈥檚 many achievements from his research was a method to keep milk from spoiling. Where would the dairy industry be without pasteurization?
Applied science is essential, but it is the descendant of pure science. To focus only on profit is to ignore the possibilities, thereby diminishing chances of finding other ways to create more economic opportunities. Vigorous research and robust science are good for business. We need both applied science and pure science.
Places like the Centre of the Universe feed the zest to learn and spark curiosity. The essence of science is the curiosity 鈥� that need to know 鈥� that takes the quest down paths not usually taken. Science restricted to pursuits that meet specific economic or political aims becomes anemic science, less likely to break new ground or to further new understanding.
Sharing of knowledge is important in research. Scientists build on each other鈥檚 work; one achievement complements another. Collaboration helps avoid duplication of effort, stokes the pace of research and encourages the cross-fertilization of ideas. Much is lost when the flow of information must pass through the filter of politics.
Keeping scientific information from the public runs counter to democratic principles. While certain instances might call for confidentiality, the research of government scientists is public property, and citizens鈥� access to the information should be as open as possible.
The perception is growing that the Harper government is concerned more with controlling the flow of information than it is with the advancement of science. The closing of the Centre of the Universe does little to dispel that perception.
