Basic and applied research

Although some scientific research is into specific problems, a great deal of our understanding comes from the curiosity-driven undertaking. This leads to options for technological advance that were not planned or sometimes even imaginable. This point was made by Michael Faraday when allegedly in response to the question "what is the use of basic research?" he responded "Sir, what is the use of a new-born child?". For example, research into the effects of red light on the human eye's did not seem to have any practical purpose; eventually, the discovery that our is not troubled by red light would lead  teams (among others) to adopt red light in the cockpits of jets and helicopters. In a nutshell, basic research is the search for knowledge, and applied research is the search for solutions to practical problems using this knowledge. Finally, even basic research can take unexpected turns, and there is some sense in which the scientific method is built.