Why bother? Seriously. Could someone PLEASE explain...

[Dingus Mungus]

@xenobard

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Boo hoo! The world is unfair!

I had a rough life, and many of friends have had rougher lives. A shit load worse than the things you discribed earlier in the thread. The point is to do it for yourself or don't bother doing it at all. If you're having trouble deciding on weather or not to research alternative energies because "people suck", your contribution would probably be marginal at best. Only those who have a genuine interest and absolute dedication, contribute anything of use. So here is your answer in a series of questions...

Do you genuinely care about research and discovery?
Do you really care about finding a better way to do things?
Would you be more inclided to spend your extra money on research rather than having fun?
Would you spend years discovering something new as opposed to just having something that works?
Would you skip lunch for a week to be able to afford research materials?

You should have realized by now which side of the fence you're on. But to make it short and sweet... If you answered "no" to any of those questions than you should just give up now.

Just my 2 cents,
~Dingus

P.S. We're not saving hamanity here, we're researching. Get over yourselves!

[xenobard]

@Dingus Mungus

Hmm.  Guess I won't be having the last word for a while.

"re: P.S. We're not saving hamanity here, we're researching. Get over yourselves!"

You're not trying to save the world?  Why the h$$l not?  Why would I want to devote my potential to anything other than saving the world?  H$$l, if you guys aren't in the business of saving the world I want nothing to do with you all.

You say, 'Get over yourselves'. I say get your heads out of your arses and realise the world is going to hell in a hand-basket BECAUSE people like you aren't in the business of saving the world.

I mean holy crap!  Has it not occurred to you that it is people like YOU who are destroying the world BY researching merely for the sake of researching.

You know, not so long ago whoever it was decided it might be fun to research splitting the atom.  How utterly stupid!  It is the stupidity of people like those who researched splitting the atom that I DESPISE most.

[HopeForHumanity]

You are forgeting the other useful things we have learned from splitting the atom, and it's the peoples actions negatively using the research which makes itself destructive. I went through the same stage as you did; you'll get over it.....

[DrWhat]

The research gives us an interest, a goal, a motivation.

The research itself is one element that makes life worthwhile, with an outcome that will be fantastic! Yippee, you have an interest, a hobby!

It is a release for all our pent-up frustrations!

[Low-Q]

Will someone please explain to me what it is about the human race that is worth our efforts in trying to save it?

Well, all humans are a part of the global animal life. We have the power to make and do things no other animals can do.
We humans are also animals which have a need to defend our conviction, defend our territory etc. - this is basic instincts.

We are ran by these instincts in a greater extent than we like to believe or think - "we are after all supreme civilized beings on this planet". The result is wars, hunger, terrorism, envy - we all want to have it our way, which of course doesn't fit everybody. So most of us are forced to subservience, because there are individuals among us which have greater influence on people than you and me - these men and women are bosses, presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens. Then there will always be rebels far down on the social ladder which always will try to move upwards using stupid and primitive means as throwing stones, swearing, shooting, fighting etc.

We are after all quite primitive beings. Not so strange there is wars, hunger, terrorism, envy on this planet after all?

We will at the end survive as the strongest ones - in one or another way. Probably not a fair game!

Br.

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