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If that's true, then it doesn't make sense for the public to invest so heavily in it. Humanities research also is valuable in ways that are immeasurable and is
by sicp-enjoyer 4y ago
If that's true, then it doesn't make sense for the public to invest so heavily in it. Humanities research also is valuable in ways that are immeasurable and is also a good end.
The public got invested because it had a lot of useful outcomes in the 20th century.
- hiptobecubic 4y agoThe point is that you don't know up front if or when that's going to happen.
- sicp-enjoyer 4y agoExpectation of high variability or long time frame sounds different from what the other poster said.
- Tainnor 4y agoNobody had any use for number theory for some two and a half millenia or so, until we figured out that it can be used to secure communications and data. How would you assess things like that?
- sicp-enjoyer 4y agoOnce, again, the original poster said that we should pursue science with little to no expectation of usefulness, and should pursue it for its own sake. I am merely arguing that IF that is the case, then it may not be worth pursuing with public money. To your suggestion, I am not arguing that we should not fund things, just because we don't have an initial understanding of how it will be useful.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]