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Asked by anon-267421 to James on 5 Nov 2020.
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James Lees answered on 5 Nov 2020:
Who knows!
I work in fundamental research. That means that the work I’m doing is examining some of the very beginnings in a field of research.
As of right now and even in the near future my work will only be read and used by other scientists. It could be more than 20 years before it’s in any practical use.
But also it could then become massively used, maybe every micro-fabricating factory in the world will use it!
So I just don’t know yet.
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Comments
Juan commented on :
Everyone’s job is. We all do a little bit to get things going… we are all necessary.
I teach the new generation of physicists, that is important. I help my university to progress. I research to understand how crystals form, and what I conclude helps others to progress… it is all about teamwork, in the lab, in university, in the city and in the world.
Adrien commented on :
Relatively, yes.
From a historical perspective, the scientific advances that a nation produces is proportional to its international standing.
From a moral perspective, I would argue that all jobs are important, because they are all opportunities to to good, to give the best of you, to impact others positively. From being a taxi driver to being state officials, the only difference is the value that society gives to these positions. But if you can bypass these social norms, you’ll see that every job is important.
Joshua commented on :
It depends on how you define ‘important’. If a surgeon doesn’t show up for work it is likely that people will die as they can’t be treated. If a recycling collector doesn’t empty your bins then your whole street would fill with rubbish and you’d have rats and rotting rubbish in a few weeks.
If I don’t do my job the consequences don’t happen for a long time. I am trying to speed up MRI scans so that doctors can take high-quality images of your body faster. Small improvements in the efficiency of MRI scans could have a significant effect on the number of people treated each year. However, any improvements which I make will need to be tested over a long period of time to make sure they are safe and effective. There is often a lag between discoveries and useful outcomes. I think that all scientific research is important as you can’t know where really important discoveries will be made.