I worked at Intel for 3 years and I felt similarly. I was in a group writing software to help the R&D physicists figure out the kinks of the low-level devices (

I worked at Intel for 3 years and I felt similarly. I was in a group writing software to help the R&D physicists figure out the kinks of the low-level devices (next-gen transistors) way before going to silicon. The day-to-day work was relatively mundane, but talking to these people about their problems and needs made me feel like I was doing my little bit to move humankind forward.