For this reason, the scientific enterprise cannot afford to support work that is oriented entirely to tools and techniques. In our pragmatic age, fascinated as we are with the technology of the possible, there is a temptation to devalue that propensity, especially on the physical side of science. The heart responds to exercise and adrenaline, too. For the scientific heart, these things are found in the form of public and private investment and social urgency. It is no secret that science operates on money.
Wealthy societies invest more, and the pace of their science is more rapid.
Political or social concerns can inject special conditions into the picture and can quicken the pace markedly, especially if national security is involved. In my time, I have seen many examples, including two big waves of research on electrochemical processes at semiconductors driven by public concerns over energy supplies. Even now, we are seeing an extra push in research on batteries and fuel cells driven by that concern and by the public interest in environmental protection. The heartbeat of science depends so much on innovation that it is worth our while to try to define elements that can encourage it. An old saying in real estate is that the three most important aspects of a property are location, location, and location.