46 Research and National Purpose 



12. The support of fundamental work in oceanic geophysics, 

 which led directly to the development of a useful geophysical 

 navigation technique. 



13. Support of the earliest work on numerical modeling of 

 the atmosphere, which is now beginning to lead towards a 

 practical method of numerical weather forecasting. 



14. The discovery of the so-called deep sound channel as 

 an outgrowth of fundamental investigations in an oceano- 

 graphic laboratory. 



15. The development of the concept of an integrated fleet 

 air defense system. 



16. The support of early fundamental work on shock tubes 

 and shock dynamics, which was the direct forerunner of the 

 use of shock tubes in the study of re-entry problems and the 

 development of a practical nose cone material — a primary ex- 

 ample of a basic research tool which, through remarkable 

 prescience, was ready to be applied in testing and development 

 programs when needed, even though nobody had conceived 

 the ICBM when the work was first supported. 



17. The development of the plastic cornea for eye repair, 

 an example of assiduous and inspired follow-up on an initially 

 fortuitous observation. 



One could go on with this list indefinitely, but I think I 

 have recited enough examples to make my point. On the other 

 hand, we shouldn't fall into the trap of believing that the basic 

 idea is everything. I suspect many of these ideas would have 

 been lost in the noise if there hadn't been alert and intelligent 

 program officers and Navy scientists who had the wisdom to 

 appreciate their potential and see that it was further developed. 

 The accomplishments of ONR sponsored research must be a 

 source of pride not just to the scientists who did the pioneer 

 work, but to the creative administrators and Naval officers who 

 cultivated their scientific gardens so fruitfully, I think too 

 many of us in the scientific community have been recently too 

 inclined to forget the importance of this role, and on the other 

 side, too many in the policy making positions of government, 



