American leadership at the cutting edge of scientific research lies at the heart of a budget controversy over further funding of an enormous atom smasher taking shape in Texas. Congressional opposition, flavored with a bit of partisan bickering, threatens the huge project-one whose value should not be judged merely in terms of the research that might be undertaken at the facility but judged on a broader scale.
The collider, a massive ring-shaped tunnel that will propel subatomic particles into each other at the speed of light, will explore the basic nature of matter at levels never before within the reach of human observation. It represents a major leap from existing cyclotron research facilities at laboratories in Batavia, Ill., and one on the French-Swiss border.
Critics have balked at the projected cost, estimated at $11 billion, charging that the money-more than $1 billion already invested-might be better spent elsewhere in science. But the greater utility of the new collider lies in the collateral research that will be done by physicists and other scientists, energized by the appeal of the work to be done at the Texas facility. Larger numbers of young scientists will be drawn into physics . . . with important implications for the ultimate development of new materials and products.
The Senate has judiciously chosen to support the project rather than opt for short-term savings in the federal budget. Now the House should follow that lead, recognizing the long-term benefits of the super collider to the country and the world.
