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A comment on Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time you're in the water too long. Parent comment

Re:Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time you're in th... by jaoane on Wednesday May 14, 2025 @03:28AM (#43981844)
And then we wonder why research budget is being cut. And before you ask, yes, this was paid for by the American public; it says so in the paper.
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Re:Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time you're in th... by Robin_Message on Wednesday May 14, 2025 @04:25AM (#43982209)
It's because such research has no obvious initial use that the public must pay for it; no private enterprise will fund it, and often it will be useless knowledge, but occasionally someone will figure something out that unlocks a whole new understanding of the world.

It's publicly-funded venture capital for ideas.

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Re:Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time you're in th... by ashildr on Wednesday May 14, 2025 @04:37AM (#43982280)
IIRC even LASER was seen as a novely demonstration of quite an obscure effect…
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Re:Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time you're in th... by moomin on Wednesday May 14, 2025 @05:37AM (#43982615)
Gladstone once asked Faraday about the usefulness of electricity, just saying.

Faraday's response: "Why sir, there is every possibility that you will soon be able to tax it!"

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