In one sense, Boris Johnson has lived up to the promise of bringing energy to his UK premiership. One of the most eye-catching announcements at the Conservative party conference was a £220m investment in nuclear fusion, the same atom-melding process that powers the sun. Fusion, a high-risk gamble, promises almost unlimited amounts of clean energy.
Perhaps it hardly matters that no scientist believes a commercial nuclear fusion reactor to be possible by 2040, as proposed; nor that a more realistic price tag is tens of billions. What matters is that science and technology are being marketed as a key pillar of a thriving post-Brexit Britain. Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson’s adviser, reportedly ranks science and technology as 10 Downing Street’s highest priority after Brexit, and has been convening meetings with influential researchers.
The overtures so far, however, reveal a government that is confused about how science is conducted; wedded to an outdated “great man” theory of science that lauds individuals rather than teams; and ready to bet on big sectors while having a hazy understanding of the complexities involved.