The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691174768
Total Pages : 104 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge by : Abraham Flexner

Download or read book The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge written by Abraham Flexner and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-02-21 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A short, provocative book about why "useless" science often leads to humanity's greatest technological breakthroughs A forty-year tightening of funding for scientific research has meant that resources are increasingly directed toward applied or practical outcomes, with the intent of creating products of immediate value. In such a scenario, it makes sense to focus on the most identifiable and urgent problems, right? Actually, it doesn't. In his classic essay "The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge," Abraham Flexner, the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and the man who helped bring Albert Einstein to the United States, describes a great paradox of scientific research. The search for answers to deep questions, motivated solely by curiosity and without concern for applications, often leads not only to the greatest scientific discoveries but also to the most revolutionary technological breakthroughs. In short, no quantum mechanics, no computer chips. This brief book includes Flexner's timeless 1939 essay alongside a new companion essay by Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Institute's current director, in which he shows that Flexner's defense of the value of "the unobstructed pursuit of useless knowledge" may be even more relevant today than it was in the early twentieth century. Dijkgraaf describes how basic research has led to major transformations in the past century and explains why it is an essential precondition of innovation and the first step in social and cultural change. He makes the case that society can achieve deeper understanding and practical progress today and tomorrow only by truly valuing and substantially funding the curiosity-driven "pursuit of useless knowledge" in both the sciences and the humanities.

The Incredible Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0399537465
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis The Incredible Book of Useless Information by : Don Voorhees

Download or read book The Incredible Book of Useless Information written by Don Voorhees and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 New York Times bestselling series continues to delight and astound with an all-new collection of surprisingly unnecessary facts and figures. Would it surprise you to learn… •it takes a sloth about a month to digest a meal? •more tourists visit France than any other nation in the world? •the United States still has debt from the Revolutionary War? Do you think you ever need to know… •what type of trees are most frequently struck by lightning? •how much a clerk was paid for penning the U.S. Constitution? •which celebrity uses the pseudonym Slappy White?

The Totally Awesome Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0399159258
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (991 download)

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Book Synopsis The Totally Awesome Book of Useless Information by : Noel Botham

Download or read book The Totally Awesome Book of Useless Information written by Noel Botham and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Weird and amazing facts for curious minds of all kinds Looking for fascinating facts and trivia that readers of all ages can enjoy? The Totally Awesome Book of Useless Information is filled with the oddest and funniest tidbits about history, science, food, animals, and more. A great gift for kids of all ages, this book features: 200+ interesting facts and trivia Engaging illustrations and easy-to-read format Portable size, great for road trips and family vacations This compendium is perfect for trivia buffs, history lovers, and anyone who loves to learn new things. For example, did you know that the Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving? Or that the peach was the first fruit eaten on the moon? Or that there are oysters that can climb trees? You'll find all this and more in this amazing collection of useless information.

Useless Knowledge

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Author :
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN 13 : 1466855940
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis Useless Knowledge by : David Samson

Download or read book Useless Knowledge written by David Samson and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can your tongue get you arrested? What dessert is as smart as the average adult? What's louder: A jet plane at take-off or a hippo having sex? In the form of a lively and eccentric course catalog, Useless Knowledge, the brainchild of the creator of the wildly successful Useless Knowledge website offers up loads of facts of little consequence for the hardcore trivia buff or the casual enthusiast. Inside, you'll find topics and entries like these: The Core Curriculum The Useless School of Animals The sound that a camel makes is called "nuzzing". The Useless School of Film Warren Beatty's first job in the theater was a rat-catcher...backstage. The Useless School of History Not that he was immature, but Napoleon concocted his battle strategies in a sandbox. The Useless School of Sports It takes 3,000 cows to supply a single season's worth of footballs to the NFL. There are also Useless Schools of Television, Biology, Science and Technology, Music, Geography, and Culinary Arts.

The Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 9780399532696
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (326 download)

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Book Synopsis The Book of Useless Information by : Noel Botham

Download or read book The Book of Useless Information written by Noel Botham and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-06-27 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What you may so cavalierly call useless information could prove invaluable to someone else. Then again, maybe not. But to The Useless Information Society, any fact that passes its gasp-inducing, not-a-lot-of-people-know-that test merits inclusion in this fascinating but ultimately useless book... Did you know (or do you care)... • That fish scales are used to make lipstick? • Why organized crime accounts for ten percent of the United States’s annual income? • The name of the first CD pressed in the United States? • The last year that can be written upside-down or right side-up and appear the same? • The shortest performance ever nominated for an Oscar®? • How much Elvis weighed at the time of his death? • What the suits in a deck of cards represent? • How many Quarter Pounders can be made from one cow? • How interesting useless information can be? The Book of Useless Information answers these teasers and is packed with facts and figures that will captivate you—and anyone who shares your joy in the pursuit of pointless knowledge.

The Usefulness of the Useless

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Author :
Publisher : Paul Dry Books
ISBN 13 : 1589881168
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (898 download)

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Book Synopsis The Usefulness of the Useless by : Nuccio Ordine

Download or read book The Usefulness of the Useless written by Nuccio Ordine and published by Paul Dry Books. This book was released on 2017-02-21 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A little masterpiece of originality and clarity.”—George Steiner “A necessary book.”—Roberto Saviano “A wonderful little book that will delight you.”—François Busnel International Best Seller / Now in English for the First Time In this thought-provoking and extremely timely work, Nuccio Ordine convincingly argues for the utility of useless knowledge and against the contemporary fixation on utilitarianism—for the fundamental importance of the liberal arts and against the damage caused by their neglect. Inspired by the reflections of great philosophers and writers (e.g., Plato, Dante, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Borges, and Calvino), Ordine reveals how the obsession for material goods and the cult of utility ultimately wither the spirit, jeopardizing not only schools and universities, art, and creativity, but also our most fundamental values—human dignity, love, and truth. Also included is Abraham Flexner’s 1939 essay “The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge,” which originally prompted Ordine to write this book. Flexner—a founder and the first director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton—offers an impassioned defense of curiosity-driven research and learning.

The Book of Totally Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : M J F Books
ISBN 13 : 9781567312669
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (126 download)

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Book Synopsis The Book of Totally Useless Information by : Don Voorhees

Download or read book The Book of Totally Useless Information written by Don Voorhees and published by M J F Books. This book was released on 1998-08 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides answers to such questions as "Was there ever a real Aunt Jemima?" "What is the difference between bourbon and Scotch?" "Why do trains have a caboose?" and "Why do we give names to hurricanes?"

The World's Greatest Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101061359
Total Pages : 129 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The World's Greatest Book of Useless Information by : Noel Botham

Download or read book The World's Greatest Book of Useless Information written by Noel Botham and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-07-07 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the creators of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Useless Information-a collection of even greater insignificance. More useless than ever before! Impress know-it-all friends with this all-new hodgepodge of frivolous facts and silly statistics that no one really needs to know. But honestly, how cool is it to find out that... ? There is a place in Maryland called Monkey's Eyebrow ? Giving yellow flowers is a sign of bad luck in Russia ? One brow wrinkle is the result of 200,000 frowns ? Paper can be made from asparagus This is the book that will also tell you... ? The meaning of 'mageirocophobia' ? Where it is illegal to kill a butterfly ? Huckleberry Finn's remedy for warts ? What bodily fluid the Romans used as a hair treatment And much, much more!

The Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Publications International Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781450807463
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis The Book of Useless Information by : Publications International

Download or read book The Book of Useless Information written by Publications International and published by Publications International Limited. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book of Useless Information addresses virtually every imaginable topic, from the most unusual tourist attractions in the United States to the legend of Dracula. This 704-page padded hardcover book contains 250 articles, statistics, facts, trivia, and lists that range from absurd to useless to hilarious. Readers learn about the deadliest diseases of the 20th century, the craziest entertainment acts of all time, the world's most unusual museums, the most outlandish laws on the books, the biggest Hollywood blunders, the most dangerous jobs, and much more. Quirky illustrations enhance the stories. Sample chapters include: The Unexplained, Science and Technology, The Arts, History, Around the World, and Death and the Macabre The Book of Useless Information provides hours upon hours of fascinating reading for anyone with a curious mind. Makes a wonderful gift for trivia buffs.

The Faculty of Useless Knowledge

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Author :
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 9781860460548
Total Pages : 548 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis The Faculty of Useless Knowledge by : I︠U︡riı̆ Dombrovskiı̆

Download or read book The Faculty of Useless Knowledge written by I︠U︡riı̆ Dombrovskiı̆ and published by Vintage. This book was released on 1996 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Super Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101545135
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis The Super Book of Useless Information by : Don Voorhees

Download or read book The Super Book of Useless Information written by Don Voorhees and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faster than a speeding bullet, more useless than ever before. The #1 New York Times bestselling series reaches new heights of irrelevance with this powerfully pointless, all-new collection of the things you never need to know. Do you actually care that... there are three feet of DNA in every cell? Saturn has 47 moons? March is National Frozen Foods Month? in 2010 a traffic jam in China lasted ten days? Would it improve your life to know... which movie star wanted to be a funeral director? which state has the most horses per square mile? which dictator was obsessed with Cheetos? what day of the year the most cars are stolen in the United States?

The Utterly, Completely, and Totally Useless Fact-O-Pedia

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1626366144
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (263 download)

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Book Synopsis The Utterly, Completely, and Totally Useless Fact-O-Pedia by : Charlotte Lowe

Download or read book The Utterly, Completely, and Totally Useless Fact-O-Pedia written by Charlotte Lowe and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-01-17 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did you know that cats were once used to deliver mail in Belgium? That the “huddle” in football became popular after a deaf player began using it to prevent other teams from reading his sign language? That the average American eats 30 pounds of cheese in a year? Organized from A to Z, there are over 1,000 trivia tidbits for you to peruse. Start off with little-known facts about Aristotle and Barbie, and continue until you’ve discovered hidden gems about zombies, zippers, and more! Did you know that Levi Strauss originally intended to sell canvas tents to miners in California but ended up using the fabric to make what the prospectors really needed—pants? Or that a chicken in Colorado had its head cut off and managed to live for another two years? Did you know that if Americans were to switch just 10 percent of their total mileage to scooters, we would consume 14 million gallons less fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by 324 million pounds in just one day? Or that on May 15th, 1950, Coca-Cola became the first product ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine?

The Best Book of Useless Information Ever

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 9780399534287
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (342 download)

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Book Synopsis The Best Book of Useless Information Ever by : Noel Botham

Download or read book The Best Book of Useless Information Ever written by Noel Botham and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the creators of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Useless Information comes another enlightening, entertaining, and ultimately useless assortment of trivia. If you find yourself transfixed by the most trivial of trivia, or mesmerized by the most minor of minutiae, The Useless Information Society's latest findings can satisfy your every need. This wide-ranging collection will fill every nook and cranny of your brain with information you'll surely never need, but will enjoy learning anyway! Did you know... - that penguins can jump six feet out of the water? - that everyone is color-blind at birth? Would you care to know... - what the first meal eaten on the moon was? - what country drinks the most Coca-Cola? (Hint: It's not the United States.) In 1995, a secret society was formed comprising Britain's foremost thinkers, writers, and artists to trade and share in useless information (or, as founding member Keith Waterhouse, playwright and journalist, would have it, "totally bloody useless").

The Perfectly Useless Book of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101187263
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis The Perfectly Useless Book of Useless Information by : Don Voorhees

Download or read book The Perfectly Useless Book of Useless Information written by Don Voorhees and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-05-04 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It doesn't get any more useless than this! The most inconsequential entry yet in the #1 New York Times bestselling series proves that information is overrated. Your life won't be improved by knowing that... ? Frank Sinatra's mother was a convicted felon. ? Bugs Bunny was born in Brooklyn. ? The average American home contains $90 in loose change. ? It is illegal to use the American flag in advertising. And there's no good reason to also discover... ? Which game show host previously worked as a garbageman. ? Which day of week is the most popular to rob a bank. ? Which millionaire loaned his kidnapped grandson ransom money at 4 percent interest. ? Which country once had a dog for a king.

The Book of Unusual Knowledge

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Author :
Publisher : Publications International, Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781450845809
Total Pages : 704 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (458 download)

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Book Synopsis The Book of Unusual Knowledge by : Ltd Publications International

Download or read book The Book of Unusual Knowledge written by Ltd Publications International and published by Publications International, Limited. This book was released on 2012-03 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Book of Unusual Knowledge is a mammoth 704-page hardcover book crammed with a cornucopia of information--some useful, others not so much--but all of it completely captivating. It's perfect for anyone with a curious mind and a passion for learning. With quirky illustrations and a vast array of articles, anecdotes, lists, and games, this book will provide hours of fascinating reading. It will also expand your knowledge on a range of topics, including the animal kingdom, art, sports, technology, history, politics, the universe, and much, much more. Sample topics include: * Are plastic bags killing sacred cows in India? * Does NASCAR have roots in bootlegging moonshine? * Did Ronald Reagan see not one--but two--UFOs during his lifetime? Gorgeous leatherette binding with gilded accents makes The Book of Unusual Knowledge a handsome addition to your library.

The Encyclopedia of Useless Information

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Author :
Publisher : Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1402248385
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (22 download)

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Book Synopsis The Encyclopedia of Useless Information by : William Hatrston

Download or read book The Encyclopedia of Useless Information written by William Hatrston and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover what all the other encyclopedias leave out This is the superbly satisfying compendium of weird factoids too interesting to be contained in your average encyclopedia. Daring to cross-reference the un-cross-reference-able, to alphabetize what cannot be alphabetized, and to deliver the highest concentration of fun that can fit in one book's spine, this information is too useless to waste: In Denmark, pigs go 'knor'; in Germany, horses go 'prrrh'; in ancient Greece, dogs went 'au au.' Italians sneeze 'ecci ecci.' A teacher in Italy was disciplined in 1996 for passing students exam answers hidden in salami sandwiches. In 1957 the U.S. air force completed a survey of the Atlantic Ocean but refused to divulge its width on the grounds that the information might be of military use to the Russians. In Paris in 1740 a cow was hanged in public following its conviction for sorcery.

On Garbage

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Author :
Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 9781861892225
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (922 download)

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Book Synopsis On Garbage by : John Scanlan

Download or read book On Garbage written by John Scanlan and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2005-03 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On Garbage is the first book to examine the detritus of Western culture in full range—not only material waste and ruin, but also residual or "broken" knowledge and the lingering remainders of cultural thought systems.