Reflections on "The Simple Economics of Basic Research": Looking Back and Looking Forwards

Many of the points argued in this old paper have withstood the tests of time. The economic contribution of basic research is to enable or facilitate downstream invention. The range of inventions that may be facilitated by basic research is unpredictable, but often large. For these reasons, it is desirable that the results of basic research be in the public domain rather than being patented. One major point has turned out not to be fully true. In some cases the results of basic research can be and have been patented. The heart of this essay is an exploration of the problems that have been caused in recent years by the patenting of basic research results, and a consideration of the policy options and appropriate responses.Basic research, Science, Public Domain, Patenting, Bayh-Dole

Application-Level QoS: Improving video conferencing quality through sending the best packet next

In a traditional network stack, data from an application is transmitted in the order that it is received. An algorithm is proposed where information about the priority of packets and expiry times is used by the transport layer to reorder or discard packets at the time of transmission to optimise the use of available bandwidth. This can be used for video conferencing to prioritise important data. This scheme is implemented and compared to unmodified datagram congestion control protocol (DCCP). This algorithm is implemented as an interface to DCCP and tested using traffic modelled on video conferencing software. The results show improvement can be made to video conferencing during periods of congestion - substantially more audio packets arrive on time with the algorithm, which leads to higher quality video conferencing. In many cases video packet arrival rate also increases and adopting the algorithm gives improvements to video conferencing that are better than using unmodified queuing for DCCP. The algorithm proposed is implemented on the server only, so benefits can be obtained on the client without changes being required to the client

A review of some problems in global-local stress analysis

The various types of local-global finite-element problems point out the need to develop a new generation of software. First, this new software needs to have a complete analysis capability, encompassing linear and nonlinear analysis of 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional finite-element models, as well as mixed dimensional models. The software must be capable of treating static and dynamic (vibration and transient response) problems, including the stability effects of initial stress, and the software should be able to treat both elastic and elasto-plastic materials. The software should carry a set of optional diagnostics to assist the program user during model generation in order to help avoid obvious structural modeling errors. In addition, the program software should be well documented so the user has a complete technical reference for each type of element contained in the program library, including information on such topics as the type of numerical integration, use of underintegration, and inclusion of incompatible modes, etc. Some packaged information should also be available to assist the user in building mixed-dimensional models. An important advancement in finite-element software should be in the development of program modularity, so that the user can select from a menu various basic operations in matrix structural analysis

What Makes an Economy Productive and Progressive? What Are the Needed Institutions?

Institutions again have become the focus of the theorizing and empirical work of economists concerned with the determinants of economic growth, and of cross country differences in income levels. One central argument of this paper is that institutions and institutional change need to be understood as tightly intertwined with the technologies used in an economy, and with technological change. A second argument is that, in general, societies have very limited ability to design institutions that are effective, and that the processes of institutional reform work erratically.Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Life prediction modeling based on cyclic damage accumulation

A high temperature, low cycle fatigue life prediction method was developed. This method, Cyclic Damage Accumulation (CDA), was developed for use in predicting the crack initiation lifetime of gas turbine engine materials, where initiation was defined as a 0.030 inch surface length crack. A principal engineering feature of the CDA method is the minimum data base required for implementation. Model constants can be evaluated through a few simple specimen tests such as monotonic loading and rapic cycle fatigue. The method was expanded to account for the effects on creep-fatigue life of complex loadings such as thermomechanical fatigue, hold periods, waveshapes, mean stresses, multiaxiality, cumulative damage, coatings, and environmental attack. A significant data base was generated on the behavior of the cast nickel-base superalloy B1900+Hf, including hundreds of specimen tests under such loading conditions. This information is being used to refine and extend the CDA life prediction model, which is now nearing completion. The model is also being verified using additional specimen tests on wrought INCO 718, and the final version of the model is expected to be adaptable to most any high-temperature alloy. The model is currently available in the form of equations and related constants. A proposed contract addition will make the model available in the near future in the form of a computer code to potential users

What Makes an Economy Productive and Progressive? What Are the Needed Institutions?

Institutions again have become the focus of the theorizing and empirical work of economists concerned with the determinants of economic growth, and of cross country differences in income levels. One central argument of this paper is that institutions and institutional change need to be understood as tightly intertwined with the technologies used in an economy, and with technological change. A second argument is that, in general, societies have very limited ability to design institutions that are effective, and that the processes of institutional reform work erratically.

The Market Economy, and the Scientific Commons

It is widely believed that while society allows technology to be private property, scientific knowledge is public and open. However, over the past quarter-century there has been increasing patenting of quite basic scientific knowledge. This essay argues that this is potentially a very serious problem. The future development of technology, as well as the future progress of science, is greatly facilitated when basic scientific knowledge is public and open. The paper explores the various factors that have led to the growing privatization of scientific knowledge. And it explores a variety of policy changes that can stop, and even reverse, these trends.Science, Technology, Patents, Open Knowledge.

Economic Development from the Perspective of Evolutionary Economic Theory

The purpose of the article is to discuss the differences between the evolutionary economic theory and the neoclassical theory from the appreciative viewpoint that aims to capture the basics of what actually is going on, leaving aside formal mathematical modeling in the two theories. As the result, evolutionary theory sees the economy as always in the process of change that involves economic actors taking actions that break from previous behavior, and an environment in continuing flux because of the innovation. While neoclassical theory sees the economy as at rest, or undergoing well anticipated change it has nothing to say about these kinds of conditions. Therefore the author believes the processes of economic catch-up have to proceed under the implicit or explicit guidance of an evolutionary economic theory.