Published on 4 February. Received from Jon

Sir,

The President of the Royal Society is absolutely correct to point out both the importance of discovery research for economic growth, and the lack of clarity around the impact of current changes and cuts to funding.

Particle physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics sit in an uncomfortable position, being funded through the same research council (STFC) as large scale multi-disciplinary scientific facilities. This means pressures from rising costs at the facilities can translate into a catastrophic impact on our ability to do the great discovery science made possible, for example, by our leadership at CERN, the European Southern Observatory, and the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (headquartered in Manchester). This seems to be the current situation.

It is as though we’re paying the subscription to a great gym - which in fact we helped to build - but then won’t pay the bus fare to go and use it. I can’t help but think that this is an unintended consequence of an understandable desire to make the economic best of our world-leadership in science.

Jon Butterworth. Professor of Physics, University College London