Thank you for your thoughtful comment and enhancing the meaning of my story. I agree that those stats are accurate and mind-boggling, especially considering the global economic situation and challenges on Earth.

To clarify for those unfamiliar with "fudge factors," they are generally misunderstood by the public. These are not arbitrary adjustments in science but placeholders or parameters introduced when observations do not align with existing models.

For instance, the Higgs boson discovery confirmed a key prediction of the Standard Model of Particle Physics, which has been very successful in explaining particle behavior. Rather than "fixing" the model, this discovery strengthened its foundation. Science is a continual refinement process. It never ends and we learn from our many mistakes as Edison did. Sometimes, gaps in our understanding lead to terms like "dark matter might serve as stepping stones for further exploration, not necessarily fudges.

The immediate applications of particle physics research might not be obvious but scientific history shows us fundamental research has led to groundbreaking technologies and practical innovations. For example, famous technologies like the World Wide Web, MRI machines, and advances in cognitive or quantum computing have roots in foundational physics research. These unexpected benefits are great for the long-term value of exploring the unknown but as you touched on, we should do it without wasting our research dollars and first stop suffering on earth.

Maybe I am oversimplifying but these are my quick thoughts triggered by your wise and generous response. Thanks for the input.