[throwaway4787]

Establishing a theoretical framework only for it to be proved with experimental evidence centuries later is actually common. As some other poster said, it still adds to the knowledge base.

Our current society is way to focused on short-term gains, mostly because of profit imperatives. Yet it is becoming increasingly obvious that being short-sighted will eventually doom us all. Coronaviruses were an obscure family of viruses no one but a handful of niche researchers were interested about until it became the most important thing in the world. As for climate change...

[dnautics]

That's not true at all. Coronaviruses are 20% of common colds and were an active, non-niche field of research at least since I was in grad school for biochemistry back in the early aughts.

[throwaway4787]

That's fair, I have to keep reminding myself that "the early aughts" are not less than 10 years ago.