[dirtboy]

Fine, then get a private grant...

I didn't say it merits public funding, only that it is not a trivial phenomenon.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I like the idea of private funding. Then the funding company can sell the results to farmers, cities, airlines, that may wish to have a weather prediction. (And refuse to sell to their competitors.) Perhaps the drug companies would be a good model.

Sounds like a really cheap research project though.