Pointless research (and random pic of me and pals in Amazon)

The BBC website today is informing me that scientists have discovered the world's smallest fish. Apparently they're particularly pleased as stocks seem to be dwindling (due to all the horrible things humans are busy doing to the planet) and maybe we'll be able to save this creature from extinction. A few questions are posed by the study: a, who the hell funded it, b, how do we know its the world's smallest fish if we haven't found 'em all yet?, c, why on earth would I care if a fish I never knew about until today becomes extinct? Dammit, I wont be able to show my grandchildren the fascinating sight of a 7.9mm long fish. Somehow, I think they'll cope.
Which led me to thinking about all the totally pointless research currently going on out there. Surely in many areas of study we have reached Information Capacity - for example (choosing examples from my field to limit the potential number of arguments from readers), Jane Austen, poor lady, has been Done To Death. There is no more to be said about her or her books. And frankly, why would we want to? Yet I can guarantee that somewhere out there, some poor sod of a Phd student is desperately seeking originality within the arena of Jane A's criticism. Surely this is merely research for the sake of research? Why can't we focus on a few biggies, get all these doctoral students doing something useful - y'know, cures for cancer, that kind of thing. And simultaneously, we can have a bunch of them working out what the heck to do with the resultant increased population.
Trying to come up with Original Thinking in my field is becoming increasingly difficult. The trick is basically to take a theoretical viewpoint and a novelist that haven't been combined before and, well, mash them up in the form of an extended essay. Ignore that approximately three other people in the world will read it (the poor sod delegated with job of marking it, the second marker and, of course, your mother), and getting through the four years shouldn't be so bad.
Ultimately, it really is all a total waste of time though. Saying that, I'll probably end up doing a Phd one day. If only because I want the free upgrades on flights that come with having 'doctor' before my name.