Scientific Research

I took a degree in sciences in 1958, which is now 48 years ago! My career was indeed in industrial chemistry all over the world. Over all that time I was never approached by anyone in authority to give an account of what dangerous basic research I might have been carrying out. It might be that my employers submitted a secret report as to my activities but I doubt it. Indeed chemistry lends itself to many other scientific disciplines such as medicine, pollution, botany, or biology. How would I prove that I had never done any research at all on these in my little laboratory in the corner of my kitchen and made terrible new discoveries.
I suspect therefore that the ability of any or all government authorities, who are mostly lawyers anyway, to keep a track on what is really happening in science is vain. Of course perhaps everyone with a degree in any way related to science should submit an annual return - similar to a tax return- which would explain the wonderful discoveries made in a year. I still can't quite fathom why that apple fell on my head yesterday, but I am working on it!