"I claim that (essentially) none of
us, individually, does astrophysics because we want to learn the specific answer to the
astrophysics question we are asking. [...] If all we really wanted was to know how the Universe worked, we would start a hedge fund, and use
the proceeds to pay an astrophysics institute, filled with people who wanted to do astrophysics rather than find out the answers."

via an excellent essay making the rounds on bluesky https://ergosphere.blog/posts/the-machines-are-fine/