The book “The Uselessness of Useless Knowledge”, translated into Persian by Mohammad Reza Vafaei, and Mojtaba Zarei, professor of the Institute of Medical Science and Technology of Shahid Beheshti University, has been published recently by SBU Press in 80 pages. The book was originally authored by Abraham Flexner, with a companion essay by Robbert Dijkgraaf.
Imagine a place that is neither a university nor a research institute, and without student and research assignments, this opportunity has been provided for you to completely focus on your ideas and thoughts, away from everyday life and regardless of any job duties, and though uselessly, put your ideas to test over and over again! You might think that what is the point of focusing on knowledge whose usefulness is not clear today?
Abraham Flexner proved that focusing on knowledge whose utility is not foreseen can lead to nuclear and digital revolutions. Flexner's story and how great scientists like Einstein were able to create the biggest events of the 20th century by focusing on useless knowledge is a fascinating story that is mentioned in the book, revealing another dimension of the creation of science; a dimension that each of us can pursue regardless of academic restrictions.