“Without application in the world, the value of knowledge is greatly diminished.” Consider this claim with respect to two areas of knowledge. At issue is whether knowledge has value or purpose if not directly applied, or whether the value of knowledge rests principally in its practical use as it leads to a definite product. Does unapplied, or impractical knowledge then, have value? Application can be defined as the use of knowledge in pursuit of an end, either foreseen, or entirely unanticipated. Value, in this case, is the usefulness of knowing something as it leads to directed, or unexpected beneficial outcomes. At real contention is not whether knowledge in the abstract is potentially valueless, but rather the nature of how the value of knowledge is measured at all. In exploration of the topics, I intend to relate a number of personal anecdotes involving history, language arts and the human sciences as I demonstrate that knowledge and its acquisition stand apart from predictive human capacity to measure or value. I suggest we consider that while not all knowledge can have direct application, any knowledge can be useful if it can be directly or indirectly applied, even if the application and outcome lie beyond initial purpose or intent. It is reasonable to doubt the direct applicability of historical study to life. I spent preschool through grade 8 in a French IB immersion international school at which multi lingual global historical studies was the focus of the program. I became fully trilingual as I learned about international and in particular European historical periods. Foreign studies were promoted as essential ways of knowing the world and our place in it as we daily read French and Spanish newspapers, visited French and Spanish websites, and travelled to France and Spain. Despite assurances by proponents of international education of the value of international study to our present and future, this specific I knew little about the Civil War or branches of the United States government. for example to a particular foreseeable employment opportunity to render value. the focus on languages. On a holiday. This led me to ask the imperative question: What counts as application of historical knowledge and how would directed application be measured or valued? I questioned whether application had to be quite specific. my language and global studies background proved distinctly applicable. a consequence of inapplicable knowledge. or whether a more diffuse application with no immediate or anticipated tangible rewards was of worth. Had I not studied the history of the . I visited the Parliament where I was present for Edward Snowden’s long awaited testimony. I was significantly less informed about pressing academically evaluated American historical topics. an institution with which I was intimately familiar. When I left for public high school. and immediately though unexpectedly valuable during a sophomore semester abroad in France. global and European studies placed me at a distinct disadvantage in a high school program directed to America centric issues. and uncertain future value. but I knew intimate details of the French political system.knowledge of languages and European studies had little application in my day to day life. On the other hand. and human sciences including domestic politics. I knew the collective imagining and reasoning behind its formation. In the immediate and critical term. membership and operations. organizational structure. I lived near Strasbourg. the history of its Republics and philosophical ideas underpinning European nation states. its mission. religious movements. a home of the European Parliament. I also knew that one could witness important speeches by world leaders and others. Unlike peers from American focussed schools. As a trilingual American living in Oregon. Had my education focussed on evidently marketable skills such as math. however. In consequence. my educational and career plans would be more certain. French certainly. and that one cannot predict what will be of value to unrevealed opportunity. are a blot on my otherwise superior record. my facility for languages and application in learning them paid off. trilingualism held distinct benefits in the EU. or been driven on that day to the hall and unknown and unexpected opportunity. known of Edward Snowden. Other than in some restaurants or areas with greater concentrations of migrants. or developed a fascination for global politics.European parliament. but as I listened to Snowden with profound understanding. known as one of the least diverse states in the United States. Of little purpose or value in the US. math was not my focus and I feel educational gaps reflected in my modest math SAT scores. and Spanish is of little to no practical use. I would not have followed contemporary events. Before my experience in parliament. Yet. at my French language immersion school. In France. and place college admittance in question. knowledge without direct application and of questionable value to my high school career in Portland. particularly in the world of simultaneous translation. I focussed on French and Spanish studies. I understood that inapplicability is relative to circumstance. On my visit to parliament for . a consequence of focus on immediately inapplicable knowledge. My experience led me to wonder: To what extent does language limit our ability to gain and apply knowledge? The time I invested in foreign language study limited my attention to other disciplines. I questioned the value of seemingly inapplicable historical knowledge. The average scores. one seldom hears foreign languages. In her orals. Given excellent performance. When my mother was in college she followed her passion and decided to major in paleontology. . Later. application or value in the real world. Rather than pursue a doctorate in the natural or hard sciences as she expected. She came to realization only as she was about to present her senior thesis. an option opened due to knowledge that had previously appeared purposeless and that was acquired with no concern for direct application.Snowden’s testimony. When Snowden appeared by video. the first money I ever earned through application of my skills. passed the preliminary and was placed in a translation booth for the second phase of testing. neither the professors. a member of the thesis board asked why “we” study this science. Because of her intellectual curiosity in fossil links to the past she ignored limitations in real-world paleontological applications. she abandoned the field and inapplicable studies to focus on more lucrative sciences. I noted a queue for the EU translator test. I was encouraged to pursue a career translating. she understood her early specialization created unexpected opportunity. I spent thirty minutes simultaneously translating his testimony from English to French. she worried that she wasted four years of college. nor my mother were able to answer begging the question: What is the value of inapplicable knowledge? Due to my mother’s practical need to earn a living after college. I stood for the exam. Despite my mother’s decision to focus on a broader range of the natural sciences. the first step to eventual employment. beyond satisfying curiosity. I was paid 50 Euros. Study of the natural sciences may have no purpose. my mother decided on teaching science. Given lack of opportunities to professionally apply the knowledge. a live simultaneous translation monitored by program administrators. Though one can’t predict whether specific knowledge will find application. As a classroom instructor. education without an evident payback cannot be considered wasteful. Although growing educational costs increasingly render education a commodity. Unlike doctoral specialists my mother could teach across the sciences. her broad based expertise in a range of sciences. but all knowledge. The value of studies cannot be determined from successful direct application at the most specialized levels. Although her studies in paleontology originally appeared worthless. Though studies in history. despite arguments to the contrary. and the process of acquiring it.collecting a number of professional and academic advanced degrees in the process. Knowledge may not have foreseeable direct application. it is safe to assume that we cannot predict the future. the knowledge is not rendered worthless. it is impossible to predict which skills or knowledge will be of value to unanticipated opportunity based upon unimagined paths. the value of knowledge lies not only in its purposeful direct application. In other words. Words: 1383 . language or in specialized areas like paleontology may not have evident application. and in particular in the fossil record and evolutionary biology separated her from competition winning her scarce teaching positions. is of value. they eventually permitted her to establish a career. but rather in its role to expose and open opportunity. Instead.