The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge
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The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge
The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge
The document explores the significance of pursuing knowledge for its own sake, emphasizing the value of intellectual freedom and the unexpected benefits that can arise from curiosity-driven research.
ias.eduFuller points to the usefulness of useless knowledge as a critical element in this collective abundance and the salvation of our species: Specialization’s preoccupation with parts deliberately forfeits the opportunity to apprehend and comprehend what is provided exclusively by synergy.
The Marginalian • Buckminster Fuller’s Manifesto for the Genius of Generalists
In the meantime, humanity has been deprived of comprehensive understanding. Specialization has bred feelings of isolation, futility, and confusion in individuals. It has also resulted in the individual’s leaving responsibility for thinking and social action to others.
Maria Popova • Buckminster Fuller’s Manifesto for the Genius of Generalists
In the early 1900s, the strain was so great that educational leader Abraham Flexner founded the Institute for Advanced Study as a place where a scientist could once again think about questions that were simply interesting, irrespective of their utility. In his now-classic essay “The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge,” Flexner suggests that our concep
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