Editorial: Publicize mining industry research

While the whole nation celebrated its first Nobel Prize in 15 years, there were rumblings recently of cutbacks at the National Research Council, one of the main advocates of science and technology in this country. Some $20 million will be cut from the nrc’s funding and some 200 researchers could lose their jobs.

Professor John Polanyi, who has invested his entire career in the pursuit of knowledge in chemistry found out, much to his suprise, that he had won the coveted Nobel Prize along with two American chemists. His work, which culminated in the development of the chemical laser in the U.S., started during the 1950s at the nrc in Ottawa.

Interviewed by Gerald Walker on cbc Radio’s program Quirks and Quarks, Polanyi said “we Canadians don’t think of ourselves as being successful in scientific invention even though lots of politicians give many marvelous speeches whose rhetoric about science is very splendid.”

Polanyi’s advice to aspiring young Canadian scientists, however is a very sad commentary. “My only honest answer is to recommend Canadian scientists go to the United States,” he said. “The only way we can keep them is to be hospitable to scientific endeavour, and we are not.” The Mulroney government’s decision to cutback the nrc’s funding proves this.

So incensed by the decision was the head of nrc’s materials science section that he has issued his resignation. When Mr Palanyi was hired b y the nrc the priority was on scientific achievement and the nrc had made an enormous influence on science and technology in Canada since then.

For the nrc to continue to play this role it has to continue to attract our brightest and best students. Young people will now think twice about Polanyi’s advice, however.

The decision must have been made by someone who does not know what the nrc is doing. For this reason it is important the government knows what researchers in our industry are doing.