The next nearest spring may be over a hundred kilometres away, however, which would make this an epic feat. Alternatively, the shrimp may stay where they are, living off their reserves in the hope that the supply of spring water is restored. As smaller and lighter young shrimp seem particularly adapted for long-range dispersal by ocean currents between springs, another possibility is that the shrimp spend their savings in one last reproductive effort and go out with a bang, as it were. Worrying about the fate of shrimp at deep-sea hot springs may be seen by some as a suggestion that I should get out more. Certainly, questioning what the shrimp are doing when we're not looking at them is not a particularly worthwhile pastime.
Science is about asking questions, but success depends on choosing the right questions to ask.
Having said that, the relevance of the questions we ask may not be immediately obvious. Few of us in our everyday lives probably care that the speed of light is constant. To justify my existence, I could point out that anything we find out about the animals around deep-sea hot springs may be of value as they offer a potential source of innovation for biotechnology. However, this would hide the real reason for my interest in these animals. I want to find out more about the lives of shrimp at hot springs simply because they are there, and because like quarks and quasars, they do not always give up their secrets easily.