Four scientific areas are used as examples of the role of curiosity driven basic research in generating extensive and generally unanticipated advances in science and technology. The four examples concern lasers, nuclear magnetic resonance, macromolecular structure determination, and biotechnology. The paths of the scientific and technological developments in these areas are presented in some detail. It is indicated that the origins of these areas of research were, in fact, quite remote from the current technologies that they generated, both in time and context. This feature of scientific and technological development occurs very often and emphasises the potential loss of scientific culture and new technologies of high economic value when the broad support of basic research is curtailed.
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The CEA Report on Economic Returns from R&D is available on the World Wide Web athttp://www.whitehouse.gov.
