That’s why it’s made up of more than 86 billion nerve cells of different specialties, and the workload is enormous. Working with C. elegans, the team uncovered the molecular mechanism behind nerve cell repair, one that also promotes longevity. But the beginning, as the saying goes, is half the battle, and in this case that beginning is basic research, without which none of the achievements that improve human life would exist. That’s why basic research deserves respect, support, and above all funding to keep moving forward. Dr. Sotiriou puts it well in closing: everyone, especially those in charge, needs to understand that without basic research there’s no progress, only the recycling of the same ideas.