What are applied sciences? Is this direction of great importance or not? Why are they needed? What did applied sciences give us? Examples, as well as answers to these questions can be found within the article.
About science
The inventive process is often considered as an example of a
one-way road
. There are three sections on it. The first belongs to
fundamental science. In other words, a theory that deals with the justification of all observed processes, as well as calculations, where else and under what conditions you can find something. Then comes the area of applied science. She is developing a technology by which something will be implemented. She solves the issues of how to get something desired, using existing knowledge. And to do this as efficiently as possible. And the third section is the practical application of development where it is needed and necessary. True, it must be borne in mind that the allocated funds are mastered quickly and in large volumes. But they are returning little by little and slowly.
Features
Applied science is a field of activity where the result is predictable and expected. When scientists begin to solve practical problems, they use existing knowledge (as a rule, they don’t need to learn anything new and don’t have to). If it was not possible to achieve the intended result, then it is often said that the performer is of low qualification or that he did not make enough effort. But the version that the approach was adequate was not discarded. Just lacked basic knowledge. In this case, the applied task is re-qualified as a fundamental problem. But do not be mistaken and think that these sciences exist in their pure form. When they are divided like this, it is necessary to understand that this simply means different proportions of the work of various scientific methods.
About the result
Applied science is a field of activity that is aimed at achieving a practical goal. In the modern world, they mean a business project, even if the end result is a solution to some social problem. The organization that wants to achieve a specific goal acts as a customer and investor. If we talk about the state, then it is interested in the following aspects: defense, public medicine, space exploration, infrastructure projects and so on. Business, on the other hand, finances research only if there is an understanding of what it will receive and how it can be profitable in practice. In the event of a shortage of specialists, the University of Applied Sciences (or even several such organizations) comes to its aid. Their task is to provide or to order to prepare specialists who can solve a number of practical problems in a particular area.
Example
We have already paid enough attention to a theory that tells what applied sciences are. Examples will help us understand them even better. Let's look at nuclear projects. When the task is to create nuclear weapons, then it is solved as a business project. So, personnel are selected (not only scientific, but also managerial). Then, the terms, the amount of financing are determined, the chain of tasks is built, which leads to the desired result. The necessary institutions are being created (here we can cite Kurchatov as an example). In industry, new enterprises are organized that deal with raw materials, materials, equipment and final products. To manage and coordinate the whole mass of people and processes, create governing bodies. Thus, a comprehensive project is created.
Working features
When new projects are created that apply applied sciences, this does not lead to the attraction of new tasks of academic institutions. Yes, scientists are recruited from them, but only those who are ready to work in the new rules, when there is no freedom of scientific creativity, and sometimes there are significant restrictions for each individual person. Those who are not ready for this remain in the field of fundamental science. But whoever agrees to put knowledge into practice is usually rewarded with significant material wealth. It is also accompanied by the most favorable state.
Present day
At the moment, alas, such a state of affairs has not yet been formed that fundamental and applied sciences are successive stages in one process. At the moment, they are different areas of human activity.
Let's look at applied economics. Currently, the states use monetarist methods to regulate the country's economic life, the “youngest” of which date back to the 30s of the last century. They consist in regulating the mass of money, the interest rate on bank loans and so on. But a lot of time has passed, many other concepts and methods have emerged that theoretically (and sometimes practically) focus on the fact that attention should be paid to such things as human capital. Although it has a longer payback period, it is also more efficient, stable and reliable.
Something similar can be said about applied legal sciences. It was they who proposed a number of significant improvements (for example, direct democracy by using a computer, the ability to remotely submit applications using the Internet, and so on). Of course, in many respects they operate with other sectors of science (for example, information technology). But together they allow you to create a more advanced mechanism for public administration and legal relations.