does it really matter?

[claymore]

Why do we strive endlessly ....and expensively... to unravel and understand the mysteries of the universe. Apart from being able to say..".Ahh! so thats how it works", how has this knowledge been of any benefit to the human race in general? In the big picture our existence on this planet is still as tenuous as it has ever been.

[fo3nix]

Because it will help with understanding. If not now, later.

Because new physics discovered from looking at the early universe can help with other fields in science, that are more relevant to everyday things.

But mostly, because we want to know more.

Feynman said it best (paraphrased slightly, can't be bothered looking up exact quote):

"Science is like sex. Sure, there are practical reasons for doing it. But that's not why we do it."

[claymore]

Fo3nix just my point , understanding might be nice but knowledge for knowledge sake is useless

[MatydaLover]

Just as well someone took the trouble to learn without knowing why ... otherwise you wouldn't be reading this now.

If you can't look around you and stand with wonder and curiosity, you're as good as dead.

[Loosehead]

words fail me! just about anything we've done has been as a result of someone seeking knowlledge for knowledge sake and later discovering a use for it. You would not be looking at your screen without it. dam silly question mate!

[jake-the-peg]

What is the practical purpose of Football?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Surely the truth is an end in itself, even if nothing else useful were to come from it?

[sp1214]

If I know more than you it means you are ignorant. If everyone knows more than you then you would not survive. Its to do with survival of the fittest. The weakest would go to the wall.

[mibn2cweus]

The universe is one big machine and for as long as I last and am able I would prefer life at the controls to being caught up in the gears.

A large part of an essential understanding of who and what we are as humans and individuals is discovering and learning to understand the universe in which we live and our relationship to it. Nothing at all really matters apart from appreciating and hoping to contribute to the value of being alive aware and free so in essence for those of us who enjoy the luxury, its a choice and one none of us should be forced to make. For myself just having an option is reason enough for me to want to protect, keep and enjoy it.

An essential key component of life is growth. The universe gave us life and the ability to appreciate the existence of it and ourselves. Isn�t it justice that we should give it the respect it is due by acknowledging, learning to understand, and thereby show our appreciation for its contribution? Without an ability to define and a universe that gave rise to such an entity, neither would have any meaning.

[claymore]

Gee Look how clever we are, we`ve just about figured out how the universe works,we know what drives a black hole,how stars are born and die and what pulsars and quasars are. now if only we were n`t living with the threat of environmental catastrophe,if only everyone had enough to eat and clean water to drink and aids and war and poverty could be eradicated life would be pretty good.

[Ice.Maiden]

Have you ever thought, Claymore, that we only THINk we have the answers. Our brains've developed to seek out what we perceive to be the truth - and yet it apparently does no good at all. No one, scientifically or otherwise, can answer WHY we're all here - if indeed there has to be an answer to that, and just because two and two add up to four, that doesn't mean that science is correct - only in the way that man sees it to be.

[sp1214]

Our searching for an answer that never comes shows there are higher brains out there which we cannot match.

[Glencraig]

For this I usually present the following analogy.
When a dog goes out in the rain it probably remembers the last time it was in the same situation. It knows that it doesn't really like it and it knows that in extreme cases it might not have to go out at all when this happens.
What it will never be able to do is understand WHY there is all this wet stuff around when it wasn't there yesterday. It is way beyond its mental capacity to understand this, it just has to live with it.
What we as humans fail to come to terms with is that there are things which are equally 'way beyond' our mental capacity and which we will never be able to understand. Many of these things concern the universe, its origins, its extent, its workings and its future. We know very little about the concept of time, and gravity. We know it exists and what it does, but we have no idea why it does it.
We may chose to believe that all this was created by a supreme being, but then where did he come from? what did he build the universe out of? what was there before?
Like the dog who doesn't understand the rain, we will never have the answers to all our questions either.
Deal with it.

[gardener2]

Your question answers itself. You asked a question because you wanted an answer. Science asks questions because it wants answers.