It isn’t easy to answer whether or not science is valuable. Scientists are often incentivised to pursue their interests however, this can result in research focusing on a variety of subjects -but some of them may not be beneficial to society. Science is about establishing theories and making predictions which can be verified. These discoveries are used to develop new technologies, like medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
To be effective, science should also address issues and problems that affect the well-being of humans. This requires collaboration with stakeholders to define their needs, establish clear goals and develop an effective strategy to address these needs. Today, many research initiatives do not have this collaboration and are focused on developing knowledge without having a direct connection to society. The impact of research on society is not always accurately measured and tracked.
A variety of strategies have been devised to produce usable science such as translational ecology (TE), which emphasizes the need for scientists to think about and respond to the research context. TE emphasizes the importance of involving the end users in a meaningful way throughout the research process and encouraging decision-making based on learning like adaptive management.
Students are often faced with the challenge to choose a topic which is both interesting as well academic, especially when professors impose time limits. The list of basic research topics in science can help students pick the perfect topic to impress their professors as well as provide valuable information to the scientific classical physics community.