I think for me the most compelling answer for "why fund basic research?" (and the one most relevant to the people doing the work) is that humans are curious and finding stuff out makes us happy and fulfilled. Science is a thing humans like. Life would be more dull and sad if we didn't do it.

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It'd be a perfect way to remind the world of what Gandhi was about: yes, non-violence, but also excellent PR.

My prior credence in any statement strongly violating the "kids are alright" conjecture is very low. Very much like the kids, the conjecture has proved to be quite resilient.

Too soon.

Yeah, I was thinking the same but there is nonetheless a broader trend of steady decline in crimes -- including those for which there is no alternative method that opened up since the 90s, e.g., the knife attacks that the quoted post is talking about.

Does the Catholic church support the inclusion of gay and queer people in the institution of marriage? Most religions are inherently right wing! I'm glad there are liberalizing forces within religions, but the whitewashing is a bit hard to swallow.

The need to break up the tech companies has never been so catastrophically urgent.

Wow.

Fair enough. Maybe he could've been a progressive hero despite being a Pope, but yeah, he's certainly being caricatured.