No Basic or Applied Research—Only Good Research or Bad Research

I have often seen funding agencies and researchers classify research as basic or applied. In reality, such distinctions are meaningless. At its core, there is only good research and bad research. Good research expands human understanding, asks bold questions, and pursues answers with rigor and honesty. It is driven by curiosity, not by immediate rewards or recognition. Bad research, on the other hand, chases trends, cuts corners, and settles for superficial results. It adds noise to knowledge rather than clarity to truth. Sometimes the research applications follow immediately. Sometimes it takes decades or even centuries. Here are the reasons. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, predicted by Einstein in 1916, were considered purely theoretical. It took a hundred years to detect them. Today, technologies developed for gravitational wave detection are finding applications in seismic sensing, precision measurements, and as a tool to explore outer space. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬, once regarded as abstract and philosophical, now drives semiconductors, lasers, and the emerging world of quantum computing, communications and sensing. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥’𝐬 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, initially seen as beautiful mathematics with no practical use, today form the foundation of every wireless communication system we depend on. 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲, once considered the purest form of mathematics with no real-world application, underpins modern cryptography and internet security. Einstein’s General 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, once viewed as a mathematical curiosity, today makes GPS systems accurate to the meter. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 were famously described as a solution looking for a problem. Today, lasers are used in surgery, manufacturing, communications, and consumer devices. These examples show that real distinction is not whether research is basic or applied. It is whether research is good or bad. 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 Basic research creates new knowledge. It opens doors to futures we cannot yet imagine. Because its outcomes are uncertain and long-term, private sector investment in basic research is naturally limited. Governments have a duty to fund and nurture basic research as a national priority. Applied research, being closer to market needs, should be supported through a strong partnership between government and industry. Governments must enable risk-taking, while industries must accelerate the journey from idea to innovation. If we aspire to be a knowledge-driven economy, we must support good research in all its forms. Labels only limit our imagination. Good research, wherever it happens, is the engine of human progress. It is time we stop asking if research is basic or applied. We must instead ask if it is good.