“Despite the politics, despite whatever other
things are slowing us down, Nobel Prize-winning
discoveries from 20 years ago are going to be
key to treating and preventing COVID next year,”
said’“That was made possible by basic research.”
Basic research comes first. The benefits are
typically reaped only later, in what is called
applied science.
“Without basic science, you won’t have cutting-
edge applied science,” said Frances Arnold, a
Caltech chemical engineer who won the 2018
Nobel in chemistry.
Nobel-winning basic research has allowed us to
see the world in a whole new light.