Kurt Vonnegut wrote of a rabbit with an exceptional brain, manifesting in a protrusion from it's head and endowing the ability to recite shakespeare. The eventual conclusion of the short parable is the death of the rabbit at the hands of a hunter who promptly discarded the rabbit because of its malformed head.
Now while I make no claims to being beyond above average, I would argue that our massive brains are nearly as useless as those crammed into a rabbit's.
How do I contend with this bulbous protrusion on my neck? I keep it busy thinking about science and rock climbing (the latter is to escape the former). So why bother with science? Why not make a ton of money instead? I'm trying to throw my pebble on the pile of science that is pushing to keep more people alive. I find myself constantly questioning if this is the right thing to do considering what people do to this beautiful place (Earth). But there is joy in the hunt! Few people understand the risks of being a scientist (brief list below).
1) you are creative and lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity to pursue science
2) that there is money out there to facilitate this science
3) you are lucky(smart) enough to find something interesting
4) more to follow as you approach them through your career
