The usefulness of useless knowledge?

Nobel Prize laureates Frances Arnold and Paul Nurse come together with John-Arne Røttingen, Chief Executive Officer of Wellcome, to discuss how to strike the right balance between discovery research, understanding how life works, and applications to medicine. How can research make an impact on our lives?

The talk was recorded at the 2025 Nobel Week Dialogue.

To cite this section
MLA style: The usefulness of useless knowledge?. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Fri. 19 Dec 2025. <https://www.nobelprize.org/the-usefulness-of-useless-knowledge/>

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Nobel Prizes and laureates

Nobel Prizes 2025

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 14 laureates' work and discoveries range from quantum tunnelling to promoting democratic rights.

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