Shifting gears a bit. As a continuation off the first post about how science is not just done by scientists, is the fact that we are immersed in the resultants of scientific progress, every day.
It's not always easy to foresee the immediate benefits from scientific research. To demonstrate the significance of basic scientific research is to look at something we see nearly everywhere: The MP3 player
This is just one example of the many things we take for granted everyday. However, it should never be assumed that science just progresses as if it were a mechanical clock. Behind every single innovation was someone who sat down with a pen and paper and started drawing, inventing and creating.
Do you know how your cell phone really works? Someone created it by challenging common knowledge. Thankfully, people are not black boxes.
Very interesting post! I took History of Mass Comm. last year and it was fascinating to learn the progress we've made with technology over the years - particularly with music players and computers.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that science/tech funding is on the chopping block in WI? Federally? I wonder if research will be spared the Draconian cuts that are normally reserved for the arts/humanities. Also, education is key for a knowledgeable populace from which scientists are culled, I wonder about education and cuts to PBS/NPR. Sad that we would not see the effects of that for a generation or so.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked these development timelines, especially the way they connect basic and applied research, a point that is often unclear to people using the devices!
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