Do you comprehend the need for Scientific research ?

The money for scientific research is there, it’s just being wasted on the ridiculous. Harper’s Magazine publishes a full page list of scientific findings in each issue. These are some from the current issue:
– Biologists found that short-nosed fruit bats spend more time having vaginal intercourse if during copulation the female bat licks the shaft of the male bat’s penis.
– American high school girls are less likely to use condoms if they are overweight and white or underweight and black, and white American women are four times likelier than African-American women to have restless legs.
– A South Dakota researcher concluded that only scant blood spatter results when chain saws are used to dismember pigs.
– Citrus-scented Windex encourages ethical behavior.
And on and on, in every issue, millions of dollars world wide on the ridiculous and the unhelpful.

I feel research is important. Not for the silly things but for important things. Trial and error is the only way as long as it does not get out of control. Remember the Tuskegee Study; it is projects like that I find immoral. If it was not for the research on how certain medications work in the body, our lives might not be as lengthy, for example Insulin for Diabetics. We cannot live without the secretion of Insulin which is a hormone.

We are in no position to judge, before hand, what is “silly” and what isn’t. If you think you can, then you aren’t a scientist. You’re some kind of superstitious ignoramus. If we followed the idea of prejudging what is useful and what isn’t, we’d probably still be riding in horse-drawn carriages. I don’t know if there’s a single major advance that wasn’t seen as crackpot at the time the initial research leading to the advance was conducted.

The government funds projects that are all peer-reviewed. You don’t get your grant through based on any old thing. It is difficult to sell a project to NSF or NIH. Very difficult. People who make fun of these projects are just being disingenuous. They’re just goring a particular political ox. There is no serious thought behind these accusations.

@dracool I’m a bit ammused that you fail to see the value of the research you mention.

For example the use of condoms in teenage girls. STD’s are on
the increase and inorder to target education you need to know who to target it at.

The blood splatter from killing pigs with a chain saw research will probably come in handy for crime investigators.

@Dracool Science is understanding nature. Regardless of how you feel about the study or finding, every piece of information has its purpose in the sea of the cosmos, where we came from and why our genetic relatives behave the way they do.

That said, eradicate religion and corrupt big business practice; you’ll have your scientific breakthroughs.

Research on “cow farts” was denigrated as silly and useless a while back, and now we realize that they’re one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases there is – moreso than cars. Scientific research can look very silly when taken out of context, or when you’re not sure why they’re bothering.

That said, yes, of course research is valuable.

@daloon is correct. Many of Nikola Tesla’s idea were laughed at.

Notice how electricity form the walls is AC? Edison wanted DC.
Ever see a radio-control drone or toy? People laughed at that idea when Tesla did it. Even the Department of War had no interest in controllable torpedoes.
I could go on just on Tesla’s work alone.

And what of the “useless” (and some would (and did) say heretical) notion that the Earth isn’t the physical center of the Universe?

Research is a practical pursuit, done without direct funding for milenia to produce silly things like paper, indoor heating, and the wheel.

We really dont need these things. They are just for the entertainment of young men who like to make things go BOOM!

Some of my best research ideas come to me while using one to the greatest inventions of all – the indoor toilet.

I sometimes as a mental excersize wonder how I would exploit my knowledge if I were dropped in ancient rome. First task… Soap!

Research is simply an addiction that profits the undeserving, while torchuring those who do it with its siren lure.

Scientific research requires both fundamental and applied research. My of the great discoveries have emerged fro a combination of the two.

Fundamental research seeks to understand how things work and why in nature these ways of functioning have helped plants or animals to adapt to their environment. Applied research often involves learning how to replicate and control similar processes to solve problem that may ultimately lead to discoveries that benefit humankind. Further applied research may draw on earlier research to solve huge problems that threaten human survival from disease or other threats created by humankind themselves.

When you are sick, or your car or refrigerator won’t work, you can stand over the doctor or the repair technician whining about the costs or the necessity of the diagnostic equipment or tests used to identify the problem or the total repair costs, especially if you known nothing about the processes underlying the problems or their solution.

You can stand there mocking those who worked with many others over long periods , to develop the processes that lead to recovery or repair. People mock what they do not understand and do not want to understand.

When your sick spouse’s suffering is relieved and their health restored, or when you car or fridge is repaired to perfect running order. You can be grateful to all the research that went into building the body of knowledge that made all that possible.

Alternatively you can continue to be an ignorant jerk who still thinks science is a huge drain on resources that produces nothing of value while you want sports from half a world away on your plasma TV.

To quote Forest Gump’s mama, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

Dr L – he just wanted to get your goat. Why else would someone ask the question?

People who think there’s ridiculous and unhelpful research in my opinion should lead a “celibate” life, i.e. abstain from scientific and technological tools. This means no Fluther, no web browser and no electricity. I would actually include no guns for Alaskan governors. Good thinking after all led to the invention of guns and gunpowder.

This notion of ridiculous science and research might come from the Republican war on science. Sarah Palin is a key player. Bashing fruit fly research in 2008 really did it. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How can the most innovative country in the word pick a complete ignorant fool like Sarah Palin as a vice president candidate? Portraying scientists as a complete bunch of idiots because they waste valuable tax dollars on fruit fly research. This research will save human lives. But people have to understand evolutionary biology to understand the connection. This is why creationism is so dangerous.

@mattbrowne “How can the most innovative country in the word pick a complete ignorant fool like Sarah Palin as a vice president candidate?”
Easy; she represents a growing segment of the American populace, or at least the voting pool. That is why we need to improve our education system and shake the current crop of intelligent voters out of their jaded apathy.
However, how do you expect people to understand even the basics of evolutionary biology (or anything else scientific) when science isn’t “cool” and people are too lazy to even read the manual on their electronics? I mean, look at this if you want to see how ignorance of scientific fact and the resulting fear and prejudice affects us.

To paraphrase the important part:
”...The general public (including me, for sure!) does not really understand nuclear power and it would take weeks to fully explain it – which is virtually impossible. People will never back it unless they believe it is safe and that is unlikely to happen anytime soon; “nuclear” carries a very negative connotation.”
“People naturally fear that which they do not understand. My education and experiences allow me to understand more about certain things (Nuclear power, electricity, cars, computers, and math to name a few) than most people so I fear those things less.”

Fruit fly research is really really cool. Much of what we understand in cancer research is related to the homeobox genes – the first one – antaneapedia causes a leg to grow instead of an anteana. A single gene.

these genes set up the critter’s master plan. Biology is way ahead for this. For as little as scientist are compensated to produce highly valuable ipods, cars and life saving medications, scientists should at least be allowed the wonder of discovery.

If you disagree, I happen to live very near some amish. I think they do use muzzle loaders. One thing i’ve noted. They pool their money, have no health insurance, but they fully avail themselves of modern medical miracles.

Sarah palin is a manifestation of the broader disenfranchisment with coastal wealth and cultural hedgemonism. The words “Liberal elite” capture this in a most visceral way. I’ve even heard the term “coastie” used in a song out of wisconsin.

The rainbow coalition is failing to include white, blue collar, christains and this is a segement heavily responsible for bush’s winning.

Perhaps, all involved, should work towards less media bias, more cultural transparancy, less manipulative, nepotistic cultural hedgemonism.

The middle east is a microcosm of cultural warfare, a good example of what is currently occuring. I think I have a good Idea of what it feels like to be a palistinian.

@jerv – Thanks for the link. Just posted a comment.

I think it’s key to find strategies that make math, science and engineering look cool. In the past the Apollo program had a positive effect. Also people like Carl Sagan were able to reach a larger audience.

Sometimes people also fear something which they do understand, and nuclear technology falls into this category. But there should be a good scientific reason for it instead of a general negative connotation.

@DrMC – I think Sarah Palin should apologize to the public and retract her comments about fruit fly research.

Her book should be titled

Going Rogue: An American Way toward Science Illiteracy

She doesn’t need to apologize. She’s saying what she really believes. She just alienated the educated however to play up to those not educated.

@DrMC Unfortunately, a growing portion of Americans are uneducated. However, it is a free country… despite her wishes.

Yes, and in free countries the educated should care about the uneducated and turn (some of) term into (a bit more) educated people. It isn’t easy, but it can be done.

The public television programs in Germany have hired some of the most popular entertainers who in the past have also done trashy shows on private channels. Now the public ones invented some really good science game shows that have enough fun elements to keep people hooked. Even an uneducated person will find a question like ‘How can fruit flies help save children who suffer from cancer?’ interesting. The question is very emotional and clever. Everybody wants to help those poor children. The shows work like this for example:

There are four pairs of public figures (“heroes”) like pop stars, athletes, fashion designers etc. For every question they get 4 options A to D and have to discuss and decide. Uneducated people identify themselves with their idols. They want them to win. But this only works with the correct answers. At the end of each question, the answer is being explained in more detail. Sometimes there are experts who help the show master.

@mattbrowne Should… but that isn’t the American way. It’s unpatriotic!

I just ordered “atlas shrugged”

Muhahaha