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Fundamental research can yield unforeseen benefits of great value for society, but often this happens only many years after the initial breakthroughs have been made. Can society find a way to pay back this debt?
In the developing world, building a research community might not seem a priority, but it is a means to strengthen the development agenda and secure the future.
South Africa has recognized the importance of science in the development of its society, in moving away from its apartheid past and striving to eradicate poverty. Opportunities abound in its growing programme of physics research.