martes, 9 de abril de 2013

Taq polymerase, or why basic research is not a waste of money

Sometimes the people don't understand what in the world we, the scientists, are doing. We send stuff to Mars or to the very bottom of the ocean; we take samples from sulfur ponds (o from the Tinto river) and we try to unveil the secrets of the moth's virus. The first-and more stupid-explanation, supported by the ones that know nothing about science, is that we deeply love useless things, so we spend the money of the government in that (and earning a huge income by the way).