Quote:
Originally posted by redarrow
You have to admit that astronomy (NOT science) has done absolutely nothing to improve my, or your, way of life at home.
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Astronomy led to the discovery that you could navigate the earth by the stars, which led to global exploration, international trade, and a little country called the United States. Astronomy is a science, and it has provided immense benefits to our civilization.
I wonder what our society would be like if we never supported science like this. How many discoveries have we made simply as an offshoot of pure research? How many times has our society benefited from research that had no plausible application at the time?
A few decades ago some guys thought up a form of theory called quantum mechanics. Back then it was revolutionary, but had little application. Who could possibly have imagined that, less than a century later, we would be using that theory to develop the next generation of superfast computers?
The greatness of a civilization is measured by how it treats its thinkers. Our civilization is pretty amazing, and it's in part because we treat our scientists and researchers so well.