Countries have long tried to capitalize on scientific achievements by celebrating them as a source of national pride. From the state sponsorship of polar expeditions a century ago to the statements earlier this year from the Iranian government that its nuclear programme was developed to gain prestige, politicians recognize the powerful and popular pull of success in research. In a 2002 survey, for example, more people in the United States said that they were “very proud” of the nation’s achievements in science and technology than in any other field, including sport, economics, and art and literature. And in 2013, the BBC devoted a series of television documentaries to the “Wonder of British science”.