There are reasons to be skeptical of Big Brain projects, even if you're generally an enthusiast of neuroscience or, for that matter, science overall. John Horgan adds an addendum to his argument that such projects are premature. Others raise similar concerns. In short, the Big Brain approach runs a risk of throwing centralized money at questions that are still ill-defined, rather than fostering creative thinking and multiple paths of investigation.
Being a science-minded Republican has been a source of frustration in recent years, as I have discussed amply on this blog and elsewhere. But a healthy desire to reassert the value and importance of science in conservative/GOP circles ought not to translate into quick acceptance of whatever high-minded, expensive Big Science project shows up on the D.C. agenda. Some areas of science, and some moments in science, are much better-suited than others to the running-the-moon approach.
