Skip to main content
Back to Show
PBS News Hour

Why research for the pure sake of knowing is good enough

Duke University biologist Sheila Patek has faced criticism from lawmakers over her research into mantis shrimp and trap-jaw ants, with some calling her government-funded studies a waste of taxpayer money. But according to Patek, not only do her findings have important practical applications, but scientific inquiry is most fruitful when knowledge is sought for its own sake, not to justify budgets.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
April 7, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:43
April 7, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
April 3, 2022 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:39
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says Russia engaged in genocide following shocking images of civilians killed outside Kyiv.
March 26, 2022 – PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode
26:35
Joe Biden speaks out against the war while in Poland today as Russian airstrikes of Ukrainian cities continue.
March 20, 2022 – PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode
26:35
The Russian invasion in Ukraine enters its fourth week as President Zelensky calls for peace talks and accuses Russia of war crimes in Mariupol.
March 19, 2022 – PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode
26:35
Ukraine's president calls for more peace talks as the humanitarian toll from the Russian invasion grows, Alabama's Senate passes important changes to its constitution, and more.
March 6, 2022 - PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode
23:59
The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues as a second attempt at a ceasefire fails and refugee numbers grow — a look at the situation on the ground and how the war is playing out globally.
February 25, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:45
Friday on the NewsHour, as Russian forces close in on Kyiv and Ukrainians struggle to repel the invasion, "PBS NewsHour" talks to the head of NATO about the West's response.
February 24, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:42
Russian airstrikes bombard Ukraine as ground forces advance on the nation's capital, and elsewhere, forcing civilians to flee for their safety.
February 23, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:41
Wednesday on the NewsHour, the U.S. warns Russia is prepared to launch a full-scale invasion as Ukrainian forces mobilize for a possible war.
February 21, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:41
Monday on the NewsHour, Russia's leader Vladimir Putin orders troops to eastern Ukraine after recognizing two separatist regions as independent.
February 18, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:45
President Biden says war in Ukraine will come soon as the U.S. blames Russian-backed separatists for inflaming conflict in eastern Ukraine.
February 15, 2022 - PBS NewsHour full episode
56:45
Tuesday on the NewsHour, President Biden warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still possible despite Moscow's claims that it's pulling back some of its troops.
Active loading indicator