[Phantom Lord]

However, the US Department of Energy recently promised $850 million towards a new rare isotope accelerator.

Is this really an appropriate expenditure of nearly $1 billion in tax payer dollars?

How about private enterprise, looking for an end product use for this bucks up the money.

[Servant of the 9]

Is this really an appropriate expenditure of nearly $1 billion in tax payer dollars?

How about private enterprise, looking for an end product use for this bucks up the money.

Yes, it is.
This is basic research needed to underpin the future of all American Science.
Any profitable end products are literally generations away.
No public company can invest in research that won't produce a profit for 30 or 40 years. It would not be prudent stewardship of corporate assets and would probably result in a stockholders suit.

So9

[GigaDittos]

Wonderful, that's exactly what we need, and new Iz-a-dope accelerator.

[anobjectivist]

Not only is it inappropriate, but illogical.

If it takes 30-40 years for a use to be found, then an argument can be made that by the time the use is found, the means to do the research would probably cost only a few cold million.