What is more important? your own life or the world? - your life, for sure. If you are not alive, everything is useless for you. Laws of physics do not apply to our conscience. Or may be we are yet to interpret it in that way. Our conscience says, happiness is the most important thing to achieve. Biology says that our sole aim is to increase our own gene and sustain it for ever. cosmic and astronomic studies say that the world is transient, it had a beginning and will have an end. This predicts that our biological aim is doomed to a failure in bigger time scale. Personally, all that matters is the self-yourself, myself. How long am I going to live? couple of decades, if I am lucky. Future in cosmic time scale is too far to influence me, which I consider beyond the reach. So, most of the studies done on that will not affect me to increase my gene, though it might give me some pleasure. that is, I will not achieve anything in biological sense, but get something in conscience (happiness) factor. Is the happiness for couple of astronomers worth spending that much money? Or is it better to spend to save some dying ones. True, visionary should be encouraged. But wouldnt it be better to spend money in those fields that have turnout in short time? Researches in chemistry and biology would yield product in short time when compared to astronomy. Its supply and demand thing, as you say. Whatever gives better product in short time should be encouraged. isnt it?