Blue-skies research and 'unknown unknowns'
There's a lot out there. What do we not know we don't know? Why should we bother with science that has no practical application? Since science is funded by a public which is becoming more engaged, why should they fund certain research projects? The debate over blue-skies research is a popular dinner table discussion for scientists and non-scientists alike. I know scientists who think blue-skies research is superfluous and “offers the researchers money to pursue their hobby”, but equally I know non-scientists who see blue-skies, or curiosity-led research as absolutely essential to our progress as a species. NASA is usually mentioned in any half-decent discussion about the importance of blue-skies research because, actually, what was the point of flying to a lump of rock sitting a few hundred-thousand kilometres away from our (mostly comfortable) planet? “Well,” say Defenders of the Blue Sky. “Teflon and Velcro are NASA spinoffs, invented during The Space Race”. Not s...