[1] In contrast, applied research uses scientific theories to develop technology or techniques, which can be used to intervene and alter natural or other phenomena.
In addition to innovations, basic research serves to provide insights and public support of nature, possibly improving conservation efforts.
[citation needed] Basic research generates new ideas, principles, and theories, which may not be immediately utilized but nonetheless form the basis of progress and development in different fields.
Today's computers, for example, could not exist without research in pure mathematics conducted over a century ago, for which there was no known practical application at the time.
[citation needed] In the United States, basic research is funded mainly by the federal government and done mainly at universities and institutes.
When his explorations yield new knowledge, he experiences the satisfaction of those who first attain the summit of a mountain or the upper reaches of a river flowing through unmapped territory.
[14]It conducted a study in which it traced the relationship between basic scientific research efforts and the development of major innovations, such as oral contraceptives and videotape recorders.