Yup, physics gave us the XRAY, Digital XRAY, MRI, FMRI, PET scan, radiation therapy, orthoscopic surgery, microsurgery, LASIC...
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I think you might get the point.
My mom works in media for the CDC, so she interviews a lot of scientists. I told her about this picture, and she said "Yeah, that sounds like most of the people I work with".
For those, who wonder, a certain group (Gecko gekko) of the gecko family (Gekkonidae) has special lamellae covered feet, each laced with billions of microscopic hair (so-called spatulae), increasing every foot's surface drastically and providing a strong adhesive force, which allows the gecko e.g. to hold onto glass or crawl beyond the ceiling holding its own weight and far more.
Two points I'd like to make about the comment.
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1) There is no "cure for cancer." There are are a hundred or more different form of cancer, each with their own unique problems. These affect the body in hundreds of different ways that, in the end, result in tens of thousands of different diseases and syndromes. The best we can hope for is a break through in one that reduces the mortality rate and improves the quality of life of the patient.
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2) We don't know where the next big scientific break through will occur. Research into the gecko might result in new organic adhesives that could have medical applications. Case in point: the advances in imaging in space exploration programs and breakthroughs in nuclear physics have resulted in medical imaging advancement. This has provided earlier detection for cancer which has saved countless lives.
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Bottom line: scientific reserch, regardless of the venue, is NEVER a waste. Anyone who says so is short sighted in the extreme.
I have to add, that there might be a "cure to cancer" someday. The origin of every form of cancer can be pinpoint to several particular genes, which are mainly responsible for apoptosis and cytokinesis. Stopping cancer - however - is something vastly different.
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I think you might get the point.
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1) There is no "cure for cancer." There are are a hundred or more different form of cancer, each with their own unique problems. These affect the body in hundreds of different ways that, in the end, result in tens of thousands of different diseases and syndromes. The best we can hope for is a break through in one that reduces the mortality rate and improves the quality of life of the patient.
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2) We don't know where the next big scientific break through will occur. Research into the gecko might result in new organic adhesives that could have medical applications. Case in point: the advances in imaging in space exploration programs and breakthroughs in nuclear physics have resulted in medical imaging advancement. This has provided earlier detection for cancer which has saved countless lives.
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Bottom line: scientific reserch, regardless of the venue, is NEVER a waste. Anyone who says so is short sighted in the extreme.