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He was 16 years old in 1965 – and wanted to make his country better.

So he did the most "useless" useful thing there was – he studied the thought of a civilization half a world away.

09:06

Half a century later, Peter K. Bol says the real question isn't about history's relevance today. Humanity has been through great change before. The question is: how does social change reflect on the way the individual sees the world and lives in the world. And this is where "the Chinese past gives us enormous numbers of possibilities."

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Directors: Zhong Xia, Zhang Yuying

Video editors: Zhong Xia, Zhang Yuying

Videographers: Gao Zhihong, Leng Junpeng

Cover photo: Huang Ruiqi, Du Chenxin

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The value of 'useless': Harvard professor on history and humanity