Applied and Pure Sciences are now being globally ondemand, recognized and accepted. This is the age where scientists like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Carl Sagan, etc. are popular. Pure science is no more a geek thing to study or something that would make you less cool. With the added popularity comes added benefits. If you a have passion for science and have a applied and pure science degree, you can apply for big government funded or private organization and work as a research professional scientist.
