Advances in science and technology are widely seen as holding
the secret to the economic success of nations. Breakthroughs in
natural sciences and inventions such as the steam engine,
electricity and the internet have transformed human welfare. From
Archimedes to Berners-Lee, society celebrates great inventors and
scientists.
But this is only part of the story. Russia provides a case study
in how brilliance in science does not always translate into
economic success.
Professor Loren Graham, a historian of science at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is an authority on the
development of science in Russia and recently published a book,
"Lonely Ideas", on the topic. He is intrigued by the fact
that, despite producing brilliant scientists and fundamental
technological innovations, Russia has often been unsuccessful in
commercialising them.
