{"title":"Abraham Flexner","description":"\u003cp\u003eAbraham Flexner’s works explore the deeper value and impact of knowledge beyond immediate practicality. His writings invite readers to consider the broader philosophical and psychological implications of learning, challenging conventional perspectives on education and intellectual pursuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a thoughtful approach to the idea of usefulness, Flexner encourages reflection on the role of curiosity and the intrinsic worth of knowledge. His books are ideal for those interested in philosophy, the mind, and the human quest for understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-usefulness-of-useless-knowledge-by-abraham-flexner-9780691174761","title":"The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA short, provocative book about why \"useless\" science often leads to humanity's greatest technological breakthroughs. A forty-year tightening of funding for scientific research has meant that resources are increasingly directed towards applied or practical outcomes, with the intent of creating products of immediate value. In such a scenario, it makes sense to focus on the most identifiable and urgent problems, right? Actually, it doesn't.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn his classic essay, \u003cem\u003eThe Usefulness of Useless Knowledge\u003c\/em\u003e, Abraham Flexner, the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and the man who helped bring Albert Einstein to the United States, describes a great paradox of scientific research. The search for answers to deep questions, motivated solely by curiosity and without concern for applications, often leads not only to the greatest scientific discoveries but also to the most revolutionary technological breakthroughs. In short, no quantum mechanics, no computer chips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis brief book includes Flexner's timeless 1939 essay alongside a new companion essay by Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Institute's current director, in which he shows that Flexner's defence of the value of \"the unobstructed pursuit of useless knowledge\" may be even more relevant today than it was in the early twentieth century. Dijkgraaf describes how basic research has led to major transformations in the past century and explains why it is an essential precondition of innovation and the first step in social and cultural change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe makes the case that society can achieve deeper understanding and practical progress today and tomorrow only by truly valuing and substantially funding the curiosity-driven \"pursuit of useless knowledge\" in both the sciences and the humanities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47559057441004,"sku":"9780691174761","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780691174761-the-usefulness-of-useless-knowledge.jpg?v=1776928982"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/abraham-flexner.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}