
Why spend time and money finding new prime numbers? - llambda
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/02/ask-ars-why-spend-time-and-money-finding-new-prime-numbers/
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lutusp
> Why spend time and money finding new prime numbers?

By the same token, why fund pure (as opposed to applied) science? The answer
is that applied science is able to produce short-term practical results, which
it does very well, while pure science is able to create entirely new fields of
knowledge, which it does very well.

The "time and money" spent on pure research is often criticized, usually by
people with a limited grasp of history. If you name a modern technology or
scientific field, I will show its origins in pure research.

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ctdonath
For the same reason people spend time and money climbing difficult mountains:
because it's there; because doing so engages and inspires and satisfies;
because doing so is meaningful to some people, who don't care if it's not
meaningful to others.

