Colliders have been the source of almost everything we know about the fundamental nature of reality. That makes them a fruitful scientific direction.
Colliders have been the source of almost everything we know about the fundamental nature of reality. That makes them a fruitful scientific direction.
Very much yes: Knowledge is valuable itself. We're discovering the secrets of the universe.
The owners of capital have created an amazing, self-serving ideology in the US (and elsehwere): If something doesn't help them make money, it's worthless. People seem to think that's part of the US - in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
Even more amazing is that I hear scholars in non-profitable fields parrot those ideas. I think capitalism - and especially free markets - work well in many ways, but it's a means to an end, not a religion. Capitalism serves us, not vice-versa.