[$] The importance of free software to science

Free software plays a critical role in science, both in research and in
disseminating it. Aspects of software freedom are directly relevant to
simulation, analysis, document preparation and preservation, security,
reproducibility, and usability. Free software brings practical and specific
advantages, beyond just its ideological roots, to science, while
proprietary software comes with equally specific risks. As a practicing
scientist, I would like to help others—scientists or not—see the benefits
from free software in science.