Re:wow neat (Score 1)

As a grad student at a small tech school, I also get urked when people complain about the space program, particle physics experiments, or any scientific endeavor in which there is no obvious end purpose or that purpose is not directly militarily/medically/economically applicable. There are still scientists that pursue science as an end to itself, and I wish the general public would recognize this fact. Limiting scientists to solving problems that are directly applicable to modern society constrains scientific creativity, and limits them from developing new fields, interests, ie things we didn't know we wanted to know or have.

I'm still bitter about the Super Conducting Super Collider.