Basic Science: Pure and Fundamental Research

• Basic science, also known as pure or fundamental science, seeks to expand knowledge without immediate practical application
• Focus is on discovering new concepts and principles
• Basic research can be investigatory or exploratory
• Motivations for basic research are varied, often including scientific curiosity and a desire to understand the world
• Findings potentially lead to new technologies or approaches, but that isn't the main intention

Disciplines Within Basic Science

• Biology studies living things, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution
• Chemistry investigates matter and its properties, and how matter changes
• Physics deals with the basic parts of the universe, forces acting upon them, and the outcomes of these forces
• Mathematics, an abstract science, studies quantity, structure, space, and change
• Computer Science studies computation and information processing, in both hardware and software

Characteristics of Basic Science

• Driven by Curiosity: Scientists are frequently driven by curiosity and a desire to explore the unknown
• Focus on Theory Development: Basic science aims to develop new theories and models that explain observed events
• Experimental Design: Hypothesis-driven experimental design is employed to test certain predictions
• Data Collection and Analysis: Collection and rigorous analysis to draw conclusions
• Peer Review: Findings go through peer review to ensure work is reliable
• Publication: Results are generally published to share knowledge

Importance of Basic Science

• Foundation for Applied Science: Knowledge from basic science acts as the groundwork for applied science, which solves practical problems
• Technological Advancements: Many technological advancements have roots in basic scientific discoveries.
• Understanding the World: Basic science enables understanding of the world, from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies
• Innovation: Drives innovation by giving new insights and approaches, that can lead to new products and services

Examples of Basic Science Research

• Investigating DNA structure to understand genetic code
• Studying subatomic particle behavior to develop new matter models
• Exploring new material properties to understand possible uses
• Exploring neural memory mechanisms to understand how the brain functions
• Developing new data analysis algorithms to enable more efficient computation

Relation to Applied Science

• Basic science offers foundational knowledge applied science uses to make practical solutions
• Applied science deals with specific issues or needs using current scientific knowledge
• The relationship between basic and applied science is iterative, with basic science discoveries leading to new applications, and practical problems found by applied science inspiring new areas of basic research

Funding and Support

• Government agencies, private foundations, and universities often support basic science research
• Funding decisions center on the scientific value of proposed research
• The funding level for basic science varies based on societal priorities and economic conditions

Limitations

• Results might not have immediate practical uses, which can make it difficult to get funding
• Can be abstract and theoretical, requiring specific knowledge to understand
• It can take a long time to get results, creating uncertainty about the research's ultimate effect