The basic science of today is the applied science of tomorrow |
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Basic research is concerned with increasing knowledge of fundamental phenomena and the laws that govern them, regardless of the potential applications of such knowledge whereas applied research focuses on the translation and application of knowledge to improve practice.
Often you hear basic science pitched against applied science as if they were rivals, when that is not the case. Obviously to apply knowledge, it needs to be discovered, understood and developed first. They completely compliment each other. However it is important to realize that the time horizon for the implementation of basic scientific discoveries will usually be longer than is the case with applied science.
The history of scientific discoveries actually show how many discoveries were happened upon and not the direct subject of the original investigation. ‘Serendipity’ is a term used to describe discoveries in science that occur at the intersection of chance and wisdom. So you never know in which direction basic scientific investigations may take you. Breakthroughs often happen as a result of discoveries in complementary fields and applied more widely (think ICT and Agriculture = Big Data). So it can pay to think (and talk) outside the box!
All scientists want their hard work to pay off in terms of ultimate application but basic science is critical to discovery and understanding of the building blocks upon which future disruptive innovation in agriculture will be built!
Often you hear basic science pitched against applied science as if they were rivals, when that is not the case. Obviously to apply knowledge, it needs to be discovered, understood and developed first. They completely compliment each other. However it is important to realize that the time horizon for the implementation of basic scientific discoveries will usually be longer than is the case with applied science.
The history of scientific discoveries actually show how many discoveries were happened upon and not the direct subject of the original investigation. ‘Serendipity’ is a term used to describe discoveries in science that occur at the intersection of chance and wisdom. So you never know in which direction basic scientific investigations may take you. Breakthroughs often happen as a result of discoveries in complementary fields and applied more widely (think ICT and Agriculture = Big Data). So it can pay to think (and talk) outside the box!
All scientists want their hard work to pay off in terms of ultimate application but basic science is critical to discovery and understanding of the building blocks upon which future disruptive innovation in agriculture will be built!