What scientific concept would benefit?

[jee]

What scientific concept would have big practical benefits if it became more broadly known? The world question center's question this year.

What do you think? The term 'scientific"is to be understood in a broad sense as the most reliable way of gaining knowledge about anything, whether it be the human spirit, the role of great people in history, or the structure of DNA. A "scientific concept" may come from philosophy, logic, economics, jurisprudence, or other analytic enterprises, as long as it is a rigorous conceptual tool that may be summed up succinctly (or "in a phrase") but has broad application to understanding the world. Please keep religion in the relevant threads.

[Kronos]

...Please keep religion in the relevant threads.

This is exactly the philosophy which makes your question redundant. Over the ages religion is what has held back scientific advancement more than any other factor.

Sciences such as stem-cell research could substantially increase our understanding of ourselves and improve medical care for currently incurable diseases, however religious fanatics want it banned. This is just 1 example.

If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions...

[jee]

The question is about a concept that is not fully utilized - not really about the barriers ( which would be part of discussion, like funding, morality, IP, government control, or if you choose, fundamentalism)

[-Prometheus-]

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[Prime]

Assuming we can find the "God Particle" and understand what gives objects mass, then we could presumably find ways to mess with mass and universal gravitation. Negative mass generation would have a massive effect on transportation and space travel. Obviously it would consume energy, but you can better utilise that energy. if you give an object completely negative mass, it would repel. Of course newtonian physics would probably go to hell in such a situation.

Another concept we'll start to see in the next half decade is optical circuitry. Using photon based computing methods will be more energy efficient, smaller, and faster. Tukkies has been involved in developping a chip that takes fibre optic signals.

[wizardofid]

Mathematics. Amazing how many people don't understand basic maths.

As for religion holding back science... BAH

So stem cell research has the green light then?

[CapNemo]

The fact that one has to use one's brain once in a while would benefit a large percentage of people out there, before we can move on to something more demanding in the scientific discipline