Symposium on Basic Research, Sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Presented at the Caspary Auditorium of the Rockefeller Institute, May 14-16, 1959, New York City

This report of a three-day conference presents a series of papers by outstanding leaders in science, government, education, and industry on problems general to all scientific work. In a discussion of the relationship of pure science to technology the need for cross-fertilization of ideas in research was emphasized. The question of governmental support was fully aired, and, in this connection, the speakers urged that the independence of teaching institutions be protected, that individual initiative be encouraged, and that even projects that have small chance to succeed be promoted so that new ideas and methods might be explored. During the discussion of the possible choice confronting the research scientist it was maintained that a scientist could live with an apparent paradox in doing what his interests impelled as well as what society expected of him, since there is no incompatibility between the effort of the individual person and that of the