A journey through 150 years of basic research – from the smallest discoveries to the largest galaxies

This book presents 150 examples of Danish basic research over a century and a half – research that has expanded our understanding of nature, humanity, and society. It offers insight into how free basic research lays the foundation for scientific breakthroughs, even in places where no one initially knew what they were searching for. The stories are accompanied by rich visual material and illustrate how knowledge is created, develops, and achieves impact far beyond universities, laboratories, fieldwork, and archives. The book also contains a number of interviews with famous researchers like chemist and Nobel Laureate Morten Meldal, geologist Minik Rosing, theoretical physicist Albert Sneppen, political scientist Michael Bang Petersen, and economist Nina Smith. It will be published to mark the 150th anniversary of the Carlsberg Foundation.