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The case for useless knowledge
Aug 11, 2025
Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar on why the simple act of asking questions (without needing a reason) is one of the most powerful things a human can do.
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0:00
There are some questions that we need to ask simply because we don't know the answer to these questions
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My work looks into ancient life by studying ancient enzymes and tracking their evolution over long periods of time
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First and foremost, it's completely curiosity-driven discovery. I think it's important to realize that science doesn't necessarily need to serve humanity tomorrow
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Ultimately, it comes from a place of just wanting to know. And isn't that enough
0:39
Most, I think, biggest discoveries in science come from that place where you just simply want to know
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how does this work for the sake of knowing? Imagine you're getting some test at the doctor's office
0:50
The results of your test may be available to you as short as maybe two days
0:55
Because we discovered a way to speed up a screening process in the lab
1:00
How did we come up with that technology? Because we understood that we can use enzymes that can tolerate really high temperatures
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That enzyme came from a microbe that is inside a really hot, inhospitable environment like a yellowstone
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So somebody asked the question, I want to know what is inside this hot spring
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They found thermophiles and we realized that if we borrow from these organisms we may be able to use it for our own greater good
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Like, we are so obsessed with what is in it for me, that we forget that maybe it's okay if there's nothing in it for you right now
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Maybe we can also just simply explore, because that's what we do as humans
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That's the very definition of being a human. It's one of the most beautiful things about ourselves
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Humanity is patient. It took us a long time to build what we have around us as a civilization
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It took a really long time to invent the method of science too
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We found a systemic way to correct ourselves all the time. It's the best thing that we came up with as human civilization
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And it so happens that it benefited us. It created longer, healthier lives for us, even better
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But it came from a very curious, childlike place. place. That's such an important essence for being a scientist that this is beautiful to me
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One of us have to go and ask, I want to know if this crazy lake has anything interesting in it
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We need to have that curiosity. And you may be the only person in the world that thinks this is
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interesting. This is beautiful to me. It's just about, I wanted to know. That's it. And that
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should be good enough
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