Why does gravitational wave research get DoD funding?

[TomServo]

Question in the subject.

I have no idea what the DoD's interest is in this. Sorry is this is the wrong forum.

 

[dauto]

The DoD funds a lot of science, not just gravitational waves. Life sciences, social sciences, hard sciences, you name it. Science is part of its mandate, oddly enough.

 

[TomServo]

Okay...but presumably they have a military application in mind or something?

 

[haael]

They might have interest in very precise gravitometry. This would improve GPS accuracy, as well as inertial navigation and many more things.

 

[A.T.]

While civilian research budgets are cut, politicians don't want to be called unpatriotic for cutting the defense budget. That is why many researchers are forced to apply for DoD funding, and propose some potentially defense related applications. At the end it's all tax-payer's money, but for political reasons it is funneled though the DoD.

Recently CIA donated to the NASA two Hubble-quality satellites, they happened to have lying around somewhere as spare ones.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technol...-gives-nasa-two-hubble-quality-212803111.html
That's gives you an idea about civilian vs. defense funding.

 

[dauto]

Okay...but presumably they have a military application in mind or something?

No, not necessarily. That's why I said "oddly enough".

 

[Naty1]

...politicians don't want to be called unpatriotic for cutting the defense budget.

Since when do liberals NOT cut defense budgets...witness 'SEQUESTER' requirements from the current administration as an example.

 

[TomServo]

Before this thread devolves into politics let me say that I usually vote Republican or Libertarian and I'm all for cutting defense spending, so let's not have a liberal vs conservative bash.

Does the DoD ever fund pure science research with no foreseeable applications just to advance science?