| In principle, hydrologists are scientists who try to better understand the water cycle. In practice, most hydrological research ends up trying to solve water related problems instead. It is questionable to what degree hydrological science and associated applications will advance maintaining this applied perspective; much first order behavior of the water cycle is not yet properly understood, while the thin line between science and applications makes it difficult to disentangle what we know, what we pretend to know, and what we don’t know. I assert that, although applications to solve water related problems are often urgently needed and extremely relevant, hydrologists should not forget that their primary task is to better understand the water cycle and challenge the current scientific paradigm. |