Science: The boldness of philanthropists
David Baltimore, Nobel Prize winner, president emeritus of and professor at the California Institute of Technology

“Last week, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg announced their new philanthropic initiative with the goal of ‘curing, preventing, and managing all diseases by the end of the century.’ … Although private funding cannot match the scale of government funding … it can help fill gaps. Most importantly, it can initiate research thrusts into unproven directions, which generally do not draw government funding. … Big-profile gifts raise concerns for some, such as downplaying the need to increase federal dollars for basic research. But these gifts are certainly broadcasting a common message — philanthropists recognize that a long view of progress is worth investing in” (9/30).