Utility of the Useless

There is a tangible and consequential tension in the theory of resource allocation for scientific research, that of whether fundamental or applied research should get more or less funds. At the root of this tension is an puzzling question, ‘how useful is fundamental research?’ There, of course, are different levels of fundamental research, but the thought often comes of why we fund projects to understand how fish became fish or why a star millions of miles away seems to get brighter in regular intervals. While there are numerous instances of future technologies coming from curiosity driven research, the first example that comes to mind is the widespread use of medical isotopes born of exploration of atomic physics in the mid 20th-century, there are equal instances of research that is of no use to everyday people that merely adds to the bank of human knowledge.

Hence the article of this discussion, ‘utility of the useless.’ While this phrase is a gross simplification, what have we gained from studying that which has no direct application to human society?

As a case study, for this discussion, we can bring up the fields of astrophysics and archeology. What have we gotten from learning about distance stars and mapping the universe? What have we gotten from the fact that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago and that many mass extinctions have existed before us? Glancing around you now, the direct impact of these pursuits isn’t readily apparent. The device you are reading this article on works on wireless networks that could be facilitated by satellites who’s technology has been enhanced by study of distant stars. As for archeology, perhaps an archeological dig helped to map a new geographic location that happened to be an ideal spot for fracking and that gas is now being used to produce energy that you are using to read this discussion. We got there, albeit through tenuous and haphazard means.

There is another seemingly underutilized benefit of these fields, that of reshaped perspective. Knowledge that the Earth is very, very, very small in comparison to the entire universe and that our lives are very, very, very short in geological timescales gave us a changed perception of reality. This new perception influenced the philosophical movement known as existentialism, which describes how best to cope and comprehend the likelihood that the world is both meaningless and absurd. Great thinkers like Soren Kierkegaard proposed that each individual must craft their own interpretation in the wake of revelations found by studying the ‘useless.’ Society and religion no longer had to shape how we found meaning.

While the knowledge of the vastness of the universe and oldness of our planet is very young, as with the philosophy it inspired, it is clear that their influence has not fully permeated human existence. Millions of people hold on to religion to derive meaning and almost everyone believes society gives us meaning.

To fully glean utility out of this potent knowledge, we need to ween ourselves off the crutch of religion and greatly ‘lower the stakes.’ All that seems very important is very not when taken in reference of the very old and the very large. A large house, a loved pet, a job, finding love. All these small anxieties can vanish once we accept the idea that they simply do not matter to such extreme degrees.

But, surely, the need to survive is the single most important goal of a human and must take front and center. This, the most paramount requirement, is not important. Knowledge of the universe and the past has enabled us to break past the animalistic desire for survival by realizing our demise is not consequential. The demise of human society, in fact, is not consequential. Extinction has happened many times in the past, and we are but one of millions of planets in the galaxy. The full utility of the useless is that nothing truly matters.

This is a scary phrase for most, and might even cause an individual to be institutionalized if he/she uttered the phrase. However, this phrase is as honest as possible when considering the facts fully. Embracing the phrase enables full freedom and extinction of anxiety. If nothing has true consequence, one can do as they please. If they are locked in jail, this has no meaning. If they are ostracized by their fellow man, this also has no meaning. The idea enables complete flexibility in thought, mind, and action.