GP essay question guide
Is expensive science worth public funding?
Judge expensive research by uncertainty, spillovers, public access, opportunity cost, and the value of knowledge. Not every benefit is immediate or commercial.
Topics: Science and Technology, Economics, Politics and Governance
Three argument directions
Create long-term capability
Large public projects can develop tools, data, skills, and cooperation that benefit later research.
Qualification: Possible spillovers do not justify every project or budget.
Fund uncertain public knowledge
Government can support basic research that private investors avoid because returns are distant or shared.
Qualification: Projects still need transparent priorities and independent review.
Compare opportunity costs
Funding is strongest where benefits, access, and strategic value exceed credible alternatives.
Qualification: Some scientific and cultural value cannot be reduced to a short-term cost-benefit figure.
Six examples to compare
Euclid Releases Its First Survey Data
ESA's Euclid mission released its first survey data in 2025, including a catalogue intended to support research into galaxy structure and the dark universe. Student link: AI, school, online life, safety, evidence, and who benefits from innovation.
Possible essay use
governments and scientific institutions can steer innovation towards public goals, but progress requires evidence, safeguards, and equitable access
Limitation
Early data demonstrate scientific capacity, not immediate social or commercial benefits, and the full mission remains long term.
Case or source date: 2025-03-19
Source: European Space Agency
CERN Completes a Future Circular Collider Feasibility Study
CERN released a feasibility study for a possible Future Circular Collider as input to later scientific and political decisions. Student link: AI, school, online life, safety, evidence, and who benefits from innovation.
Possible essay use
governments and scientific institutions can steer innovation towards public goals, but progress requires evidence, safeguards, and equitable access
Limitation
A feasibility study is not an approval, and projected scientific benefits must be weighed against cost, environmental impact, and alternatives.
Case or source date: 2025-03-31
Source: CERN
Bennu Samples Reveal Ingredients Relevant to Life
NASA reported that returned Bennu samples contained organic compounds and evidence of an ancient salty-water environment. Student link: AI, school, online life, safety, evidence, and who benefits from innovation.
Possible essay use
NASA reported that returned Bennu samples contained organic compounds and evidence of an ancient salty-water environment.
Limitation
The findings illuminate chemical possibilities but do not show extraterrestrial life or guarantee near-term applications.
Case or source date: 2025-01-29
Source: NASA
Singapore Completes Sequencing for the SG100K Study
The SG100K programme is building a large Singapore research cohort linking genomic information with health and lifestyle data. Student link: AI, school, online life, safety, evidence, and who benefits from innovation.
Possible essay use
The SG100K programme is building a large Singapore research cohort linking genomic information with health and lifestyle data.
Limitation
Large cohorts can improve locally relevant research but require durable consent, privacy, security, representation, and clinical validation.
Case or source date: 2024-11-01
Moon Rush: Space Race 2.0 Reshapes Power
Nations and private firms like SpaceX race to the Moon, driving tech innovation but sparking geopolitical tensions over resources and control. (Artemis Program, Chandrayaan-3)
Quantum Leap: Power, Peril, Politics
The global race for quantum computers promises breakthroughs in science and tech, but also brings security risks and geopolitical shifts.