Applied Research is Important too But Not as Important as Basic Research

Historical Instruments of Science, Technology and Invention and what they tell us about the future.

http://www.scitechantiques.com/belltelephone/

The Alexander Graham Bell story of invention and scientific discovery: how it gets done, how it ultimately gets to the customer, how business manipulates the use and availability of those inventions or discoveries, and who gets the reward both in money and recognition is all very much the same today as it was in Bells time. There are important lessons to be learned from this story. Lessons which are important to us today in every part of our daily living. The Patents and discoveries of today in food production new medicines, communications ( the internet) affect all of us profoundly.

Civilizations rise and fall because of technical progress It's important for all of us to understand and make sure that our political representatives and businessmen understand this and demand that we get our fair share of the rewards from these inventions and discoveries.
With careless management these resources can be used against us. Millions of jobs move almost over night from one country to another because of technical progress. Tens of thousands of atomic weapons are just waiting to be used because of technical progress. Thus far all of this progress for the most part has been used to make the world a better and safer place to live in Many of us are living longer and enjoying ourselves more than in Bell's time.

We cant stop technical progress its in our genes. So we have to be on our toes and continue to use them wisely. After all Bell and his telephone and Sam Morse and his telegraph were not very clever in the science and engineering needed to invent the telephone and telegraph but look what they started and how it has change everyone lives.
Antiques of Science and Technology