Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[syoshioka99]

Medical research is one area where there can be no rigid compartmentalization into pure and applied aspects. Developments of practical importance in cancer treatment and diagnosis, for example, have come from pure research with no objective other than to increase knowledge of how cells behave―�pure� biology. On the other hand practical developments, and pressures from practical needs, can also require what would otherwise be indistinguishable from pure research
programmes designed to increase fundamental knowledge. Between the two extremes, there is a continuous interplay.

(question1) I do not understand at all the following sentence: practical developments, and pressures from practical needs, can also require what would otherwise be indistinguishable from pure research programmes designed to increase fundamental knowledge. What does it mean? Can you restate it if possible?
(question 2) What does it mean by"what" in this sentence above? I mean... What is "what would otherwise be indistinguishable from pure research programmes? Can you make it clear? What is something indistingushable from pure research programmes???

Satoru
Tochigi, Japan

[myprofe]

The text seems to be referring to the fact that society's demand to have quick results in such things as cancer research interferes with the normal separation between pure and applied research.

"What" means "that which"
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