All Episodes

June 11, 2025 51 mins
Science is not perfect, because it is human. But it is strives for correction, unlike almost any other human institution or endeavor. Much of what science does at the basic level can feel absurd, esoteric, and pointless. Sometimes, it is. But funding basic scientific research is the reason we have made more progress in the last 150 years than the previous 3,000 years combined. Let's continue making strides forward with our values in mind: fund basic science research!

Recommendations
  • Abraham: The Stormlight Archive: Wind and Truth (https://www.brandonsanderson.com/pages/the-stormlight-archive-series)
  • Shane: Y: The Last Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y:_The_Last_Man)
Holidays (6/11/2025):
  • Corn on the Cob Day
  • Cousteau Day
  • Dirty Book Day
  • International Yarn Bombing
  • Kamehameha Day
  • National Cotton Candy Day
  • National German Chocolate Cake Day
  • National Making Life Beautiful Day
  • California State Parks Week
  • Community Health Improvement Week (CHI)
  • Meet a Mate Week
  • National Clay Week
  • National Little League Baseball Week
  • National Pet Wedding Week
  • Shampoo Week

Links and References: 
  1. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senator_William_Proxmire.htm 
  2. https://www.aei.org/economics/in-praise-of-science-investment-especially-basic-research/
  3. https://www.goldengooseaward.org/our-gaggle
  4. https://www.goldengooseaward.org/01awardees/nanopores
  5. https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/leading-research-universities-report/new-research-suggests-returns-federal-investments-rd 
  6. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-high-return-on-investment-for-publicly-funded-research/
  7. https://www.goldengooseaward.org/01awardees/the-maser
  8. https://www.goldengooseaward.org/01awardees/frog-skin-cholera 




Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.