Has there ever been any cosmological discovery that has actually benefited mankind?

Question

Has there ever been any cosmological discovery that has actually benefited mankind?

Answer 1

Yes.

The simple observation that Sirius rises in the morning when the Nile River floods was of great importance to the Egyptians.  The floods deposit fertilization over the plains, which make that area a great place to farm.  This is survival.

Eventually, we will discover some object headed for Earth.  If we can deflect it, the discovery could save all our lives. The dinosaurs went extinct because they did not have a robust space program.

The advancement of astronomical instruments has pushed the boundaries of optics, improving glasses and the like.

Astronomy has discovered evidence for dark matter and dark energy. At the moment, we have no idea what this stuff is, or how it might be useful. However, other fundamental science, like radioactivity, has improved our lives by helping fight cancer, and so on.

The list goes on.

Answer 2

You should turn on the Discovery Channel from time to time.

Answer 3

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity is the basis for Navigation systems.

Doppler Radar are of immense use to military, sportspersons and other people.

There would be innumerable examples like this to quote.

But what do you exactly mean by cosmological discoveries.? They are pointing towards the most important question - Who are we? Why are we?

So cosmology and pure sciences are very important from the philosophical point of view.

Answer 4

Realizing the Earth wasn't flat aided navigation and discovery!

Answer 5

I don't know what you mean by cosmological, but I'll confine my remarks to the study of objects with a redshift greater than 1.

Some practical results: the fundamental coordinate system, on which, for example, the GPS satellite network operates, is tied to the positions of quasars.  Interferometric observations of quasars are also used to study plate tectonics on the Earth, in an effort to better understand earthquakes and large-scale geological processes.  Cosmologically-distant gamma ray bursters are studied so that there is no confusion with ground-based nuclear explosions by military survelliance satellites.  The cosmic microwave background radiation sets a lower bound to the noise in radio communications, in particular from satellite-to-satellite; this has driven high-speed communications efforts somewhat more towards photonics rather than radio.

The current advances in cosmology have filled in some of the story of our origins---how it is that we come to be here, on this planet, at this time.  Cosmology ties in with geology, with a consistent age and history for the Earth.

At present, the study of Dark Matter and Dark Energy are hot topics in physics, and may point the way toward a more unified theory of physical processes that could have profound implications for technology.

Answer 6

putting antimatter and matter together creates an energetic flux that creates enough power to light the world for 4 years. and it's clean. they cancel each other out. nothing is left.

Answer 7

Without Einstein's theory of relativity, GPS would be impossible.

Plus the technology developed for such exploration has been a tremendous boon.

http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinof...

Answer 8

of course we now have a greater understanding understand physics and the workings of the universe due to cosmological discoveries. And if you don't call having a greater knowledge a benefit then you are a simple minded person

Answer 9

I take it that you don't consider knowledge a "benefit?"

Answer 10

Simple: The polar star was used for navigation.

The discovery of Einsteins general relativity makes it possible to let you use satellite navigation systems in cities - otherwise, the accuracy would be too low.

Answer 11

What exactly do you mean by cosmological discovery?

Answer 12

Sun is warm. Go out of cave, hunt.

No sun is COLD. Stay in cave and make babies;)