Spurred by the “recent back-and-forth between the presidential candidates concerning ‘earmarks,’ money that congressmen give to their states,” scientist Jonathan Farley writes: “What’s so wasteful about funding discovery? Not all science needs to have a purpose. The nature of humans is that, sometimes, they simply want to know. Everything else is just a bonus.”
Jonathan shared his article with me because he thought you’d be interested.
So, what do you think? Most basic research is funded by our tax dollars. Do you think funding research without a known purpose is necessary? Before you answer that, consider this: discoveries that lay behind microwave ovens and penicillin came about by accident and this happens more often than I imagined (even Teflon and Silly Putty were happy accidents!).
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Last we heard from Jonathan, a talented writer and gifted scientist, he was checking in with us to see if any citizen scientists working with bees could provide some insight into the ongoing mystery of the disappearing bees. (In this NY Times piece, he talked about the unexplained collapse of bee colonies and how a mathematical model could be used to predict the number that will die in the future.) Let me know if you have an update on this buzzing mystery.
Cheers!
Once upon a time, very rich people in America and aristocrats in Europe funded institutions of research and learning for the sheer joy, pleasure, and worthwhile nature of understanding the physical world. I’m not sure whatever happened to that practice, but if those folks are no longer willing or able to do that, then government should. The research and discovery of new knowledge are common goods, and as such belong to everybody.
Private investments in research can and should be more practical (applied science) and focus on translating known facts about the physical world into new products and processes that can be patented and owned.
It’s like the effective Title you used and opening paragraphs were so effective that otherwise intelligent professionals been totally blinded to your actual POINT.