The usefulness of useless knowledge

Dr. Abel Wolman describes the purpose of a university as a place to search for truth without interference. When research is in its initial stages, the information generated does not appear to have any useful application. By using case studies, the show demonstrates that basic research can have profound implications. Dr. Wolman provides some examples of how seemingly insignificant research can lead to important discoveries: Josiah Willard Gibbs, professor of theoretical physics; Henry A. Rowland, builder of the engine for ruling diffraction gratings; and Ira Remsen, developer of saccharine. Next, Dr. Francis Schwenkter describes recent medical inventions, instruments, and investigations that revolutionized the world: the circulation of spinal fluid, the properties of folic acid, and the treatment of blue babies, cancer, and rickets.