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This! Pure research for curiosities sake is the key factor in every notable advance that humans have done. Science based on quarterly profits holds us back.

fsckboy 3y ago
just nonsense semiconductor research has propelled us forward, and it was for the most part not done for curiosity's sake. (Not that "curiosity" is anything other than evolved hunter-gatherer profit maximization, most of which was carried out on time periods shorter than a quarter.)
- kergonath 3y ago
  Sigh. One example of A is not a proof that not-A does not exist. Besides, even in semi-conductors there is plenty of research justified only by curiosity. Some of those turn out to be important after the fact; that’s the nature of research.
  - riffraff 3y ago
    the claim was "every notable advance", so giving a single example is proof that "every" is not true.
    - quinndexter 3y ago
      "Every" is immediately followed by "notable", so what's being counted here is entirely subjective.
- josefx 3y ago
  > semiconductor research has propelled us forward, and it was for the most part not done for curiosity's sake. And yet if learned book binders and doctors had not decided that they where much more interested in studying chemistry and physics the industry would be stuck trying to create new mechanical calculators using ever smaller gears instead.
dunham 3y ago
> Pure research for curiosities sake is the key factor in every notable advance that humans have done. Yeah, Feynman got a Nobel Prize doing just that: https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/kilcup.1/262/feynman.html https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/kilcup.1/262/feynman.html
GuB-42 3y ago
Finding applications is also a form of curiosity. And we can argue that money is also the key factor in almost every notable advance. In order to do research, you need equipment, access to knowledge, and time. The first is the most obvious, equipment is not free. Access to knowledge is much easier than it once was, but still, the best way to access knowledge is to be with knowledgeable people, like in a university, and universities are not cheap, and even if they are, the location where they are usually isn't. The last, time, is the hardest to get by. If you are working your ass off just to survive, then no time for you. You need a job that is low effort so that you don't get exhausted, that pays reasonably well so you can live comfortably, and leaves you enough time for your research. Few can enjoy that. You can also make research your job, but if that's your job, then you need to think of quarterly profits. Another option is to get supported by someone else, but it doesn't change the fact that someone is making money to support your research.
allemagne 3y ago
Sounds like researchers just need to issue bonds with a 500 year maturity. Invest in curiosity for curiosity's sake and then be guaranteed a stake in the inevitable profit on every future notable advance of humanity. It's free money!

fsckboy 3y ago

just nonsense semiconductor research has propelled us forward, and it was for the most part not done for curiosity's sake. (Not that "curiosity" is anything other than evolved hunter-gatherer profit maximization, most of which was carried out on time periods shorter than a quarter.)

kergonath 3y ago
Sigh. One example of A is not a proof that not-A does not exist. Besides, even in semi-conductors there is plenty of research justified only by curiosity. Some of those turn out to be important after the fact; that’s the nature of research.
- riffraff 3y ago
  the claim was "every notable advance", so giving a single example is proof that "every" is not true.
  - quinndexter 3y ago
    "Every" is immediately followed by "notable", so what's being counted here is entirely subjective.
josefx 3y ago
> semiconductor research has propelled us forward, and it was for the most part not done for curiosity's sake. And yet if learned book binders and doctors had not decided that they where much more interested in studying chemistry and physics the industry would be stuck trying to create new mechanical calculators using ever smaller gears instead.

dunham 3y ago

> Pure research for curiosities sake is the key factor in every notable advance that humans have done. Yeah, Feynman got a Nobel Prize doing just that: https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/kilcup.1/262/feynman.html https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/kilcup.1/262/feynman.html

GuB-42 3y ago

Finding applications is also a form of curiosity. And we can argue that money is also the key factor in almost every notable advance. In order to do research, you need equipment, access to knowledge, and time. The first is the most obvious, equipment is not free. Access to knowledge is much easier than it once was, but still, the best way to access knowledge is to be with knowledgeable people, like in a university, and universities are not cheap, and even if they are, the location where they are usually isn't. The last, time, is the hardest to get by. If you are working your ass off just to survive, then no time for you. You need a job that is low effort so that you don't get exhausted, that pays reasonably well so you can live comfortably, and leaves you enough time for your research. Few can enjoy that. You can also make research your job, but if that's your job, then you need to think of quarterly profits. Another option is to get supported by someone else, but it doesn't change the fact that someone is making money to support your research.

allemagne 3y ago

Sounds like researchers just need to issue bonds with a 500 year maturity. Invest in curiosity for curiosity's sake and then be guaranteed a stake in the inevitable profit on every future notable advance of humanity. It's free money!