Whilst worthy in themselves, applications shouldn't be the only way to drive basic research.

Biomedical research is only as good as its delivery. Distribution of medicines by charities is no more than a stopgap.

The fact is that proprietary databases don't work for such basic and broadly needed information as the sequence of the human genome.

The currencies of science are discoveries and ideas; the rewards are the excitement of going where nobody has been before and, if one is inclined to such things, the kudos of peer acclaim, plus funds to do more research.

I wandered along to the chemistry labs, more or less on the rebound, and asked about becoming a research student. It was the '60s, a time of university expansion: the doors were open, and a 2:1 was good enough to get me in.

What is the purpose of being human and alive without doing new things?