This thread baffles me. There seem to be a huge number of people who think that every experiment leads to or should lead to a practical, useful application. Life and science doesn't work that way. Little itty bitty steps lead to a greater understanding of the world; biological and otherwise. Science isn't just biology and medicine, and it isn't always linear, there are dead ends and side trips.
People study things for a variety of reasons, and fear may be one of them. But most truly gifted scientists are driven by an overwhelming curiousity. Why is the eternal question, and some people may see this questioning as a fear based. That is a BELIEF. Believing that curiousity is driven by fear doesn't mean it is. I believe that curiousity is an affirmation, and an act of taking joy in the world.
I think (again opinion) what Chickened is dancing around in his arguments if his feeling that scientific study is driven by those who fear the world, and are driven to understanding. I think his opinion is that people of faith don't require science to understand the world because god frees them from this fear. I may be completely misunderstanding what he is trying to say, but it seems this is what he implies, even if he won't say it directly.
Science, even experiments that don't work, advances our understanding. A great many, perhaps the majority, scientific experiments cannot be done by self-funded individuals. No one can build a high level particle accelerator in their basement on the change left over after all their normal expenses. You might not agree with how public money is spent for science, but no one is allowed a line item veto on their taxes. If you don't want public funding for science, then elect people who cut it completely. But remember that you will have to live in a world where every discovery is corporate controlled and managed. And you'll get to see your country increasingly become one driven from the marketplace and from influence.
