[GeorgeTirebiter]

This implies, I believe, that further progress refining physics will result in similar great societal advances. This can only be based on belief. Maybe. And perhaps a spectacular future awaits us, due to some present-day discovery that now seems insignificant. Yes, one can point to many such instances in the past; but what gives us confidence this will continue into the future?

[pfdietz]

When we're studying physical phenomena that require machines the size of a small country to test, it's difficult to see how there can be any practical application. The practical application would have to be much smaller, in which case it would be a much smaller test.

[pa7x1]

I think, at a minimum, we should update our Bayesian priors based on past evidence.