Two quotes from famous scientists:

”No category of science exists to which one could give the name of applied sciences. There are science and the applications of science, linked together as a fruit to the three that has borne it.”- Louis Pasteur  

”This example illustrates the differences in the effects which may be produced by research in pure or applied science. A research on the lines of applied science would doubtless have led to improvement and development of the older methods- the research in pure science has given us an entirely new and much more powerful method. In fact, research in applied science leads to reforms, research in pure science leads to revolutions, and revolutions, whether political or industrial, are exceedingly profitable things if you are on the winning side” – Sir J.J. Thompson

Hi Bokhtiar

I would add that you can't make science if you don't have the knowledge...means that both are important.

fred

Two quotes from famous scientists:

”No category of science exists to which one could give the name of applied sciences. There are science and the applications of science, linked together as a fruit to the three that has borne it.”- Louis Pasteur  

”This example illustrates the differences in the effects which may be produced by research in pure or applied science. A research on the lines of applied science would doubtless have led to improvement and development of the older methods- the research in pure science has given us an entirely new and much more powerful method. In fact, research in applied science leads to reforms, research in pure science leads to revolutions, and revolutions, whether political or industrial, are exceedingly profitable things if you are on the winning side” – Sir J.J. Thompson

Hi there,

Basic science should come first as shown in Florian's post. Unfortunately there is less and less funding for basic science because it doesn't guarantee any financial return/profit in the short term for the investor. The economical approach applied to science funding is a complete nonsense. Knowledge is not a manufactured product.

Basic science has its own precious value in terms of principles, concepts, theories, laws, explanations, equations…etc. An applied science is one that is concerned with transferring the available knowledge into practical applications in terms of production, solving existing problems, and optimizing the selection of materials & methods.

Both of them "the applied & the basic" are important & they do complement each other. At our Chemistry Department, we have a program for pure chemistry and another program for applied chemistry. The 2 programs have been in harmony for a long time.

"Basic science" is almost like a piece of land, where an "applied science" comes as big monuments or buildings. 

It is possible to create masterpiece if and only if you have a good land.

All the technology is Science driven, in a better way science has given us (all human) to choose our hobby, in terms of many applied science outcome,

Example: Can anyone think about photography as a hobby if Camera technology would not have evolved in the time scale (Photography in itself is crude science) but technology comes in the form of applied science as Hand camera and now a days digital camera. Similarly many more habit and hobby appear as off shoot of good science.

Science is soul (actual base) and applied science is Body (that can be perceived and seen as technology)

Both are equally important. Basic knowledge is essential, but without application in real life, it loses its value.

Yes ,basic and applied science are inter discipline to each other because without basic information there is no applied science, in addition basic science is backbone of applied science,

Thank you Murwan

Both are equally important. There is no boundary in science.

The beginning of any science is basic and when it is explored considerably, it becomes applied!

or when applied are basic

fred

As discussed above, both basic and applied sciences are complementary and imortant. "Which is more important" for a researcher or his country, depends on mindset and/or socio-economic status. The important point is wthat he/she wants to do and how much of  impact (factor) some one  expects out of it.

Both are equally important. The selection of any one depends on your immediate requirement. For example, industrial technologies are mostly developed using applied sciences whereas many laboratories in universities study the basic fundamental concepts. 

Basic science is basically for the advancement or further development of science itself deepening our understanding to unlock natural phenomenon or mysteries. it needs time, money and patience to come in the benefit of mankind. Applied sicence is the applications of already estabished basic principles to solve urgent industrial or environmental problems to improve performance, yields or cost reduction etc. In most cases, the course of research is determined by respective national sscience policy, urgency, fund  and tenure track avaiability etc. and above all the interest of the researcher. Think and act. Good luck.

You ask which is most necessary between basic and applied science.

Basic or pure science is most necessary, as you cannot have the second without the first.

To choose which to study, depends on your own interests and ambitions.

Without basic science, applied scientists have nothing to apply.  Without applied scientists, there's not a lot of incentive to conduct basic science in the first place.  The two are intertwined and two sides of the same coin.  They're both important for different reasons, and which to pursue is ultimately down to each individual person's preferences.

Both are important. Basic knowledge is more important