I WATCHED a programme the other night about The Big Bang Theory.

There were several very earnest looking men who either looked thoughtfully at the sky or stood at a blackboard writing incredibly complex formulae which were utterly meaningless as the earnest lookers didn’t bother trying to explain what they meant if, indeed, they did mean anything at all.

All this being accompanied (as is the norm these days) by some ethereal music, swelling and fading, as the subject matter became exciting or just plain boring.

But what is the point in trying to establish how our universe was formed?

Will there be anything to be gained from learning that our universe was formed (or not) in a colossal explosion billions of years ago in fractions of a second?

Obviously they can’t change anything about it so whatever they discover is for curiosity value only.

Wouldn’t these incredibly clever people be better employed trying to develop cures for the worst ailments man suffers from?

Or manufacturing types of food sources which will be of great benefit.

The bee population of the world is being decimated by the burgeoning use of insecticides. No bees, no pollination. No pollination, no crops.

So come on scientists. Instead of trying to establish how our universe was formed do some research into matters of real importance.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge