Basic science can answer fundamental questions about our world, and lead to wide-ranging applications, tremendous benefits, and value. According to National Institutes of Health, every dollar spent on basic research yields returns ranging from $10 to more than $80. Hear what some scientists have to say about the importance of basic science.
Like humans, viruses have genomes: biological instructions that mold their structure, function, and reproduction. The ability to sequence a genome—to […]
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology—a way to copy fragments of DNA until they’re numerous enough to identify—is considered the gold […]
A first-of-its-kind study shows that cuts in federal funding for science might hinder the economy by halting innovation. The study, […]
UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ writes about the importance of basic research. She writes: In contrast to applied research, fundamental […]
Nobel laureate Donna Strickland pens an opinion piece about the importance of discovery science. Since the announcement that I won […]
Fundamental discoveries don’t always have practical uses, but they have soul-saving applications. Read this opinion piece by Bret Stephens.
John Pavlus’ 2015 essay on why the reasons for doing basic research go well beyond the creation of new applications […]
The Dallas Morning News interviewed Jim Allison, who was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, to discuss “how […]
The benefits of basic research experiments aren’t always obvious, but that shouldn’t diminish their importance. Read this essay by Don […]
