If you want to bash badly-spent potential look at people doing cutting edge ad research and optimization, or HFT. This is at least good base research that others can build on.

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bluGill 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

String theory has generated a lot of hype over the years, but never delivered anything. Looks to me like they are all the negatives you hate about ad research.

	▲	computerfriend 4 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Advertising has been a net negative and the mathematics produced by string theory research is amazing.

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isolli 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Fair point, but waste in one domain should not be used to excuse waste elsewhere. Unless your argument is that it's generally hard for human societies to know where to best invest their scientific talent without the benefit of hindsight.

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defrost 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Think of it as a playground for the exercise and training of a pool of minds that will one day either make the glove fit or kick the sand castle over replacing it with a better mousetrap.

Too many metaphors? Hmmm, maybe fold in some dimensional reduction somehow.

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lacunary 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

human societies don't decide where to invest their talent; individuals do

	▲	Avicebron 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I've worked in academia. How grants are won and research is received and encouraged is not an individual decision.
	▲	guerrilla 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> don't decide shouldn't* decide

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hahahahhaah 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I agree plus ST takes a person who would have researched somewhere else. The Googler or Jane Street or guy who decides to travel the world in the canoe have different reasons and probably would need way more persuading to be in academia.