Science World Blog Science is Da Bomb
Science is Da Bomb
Last Updated (Monday, 01 June 2009 14:29) Written by Raymond Nakamura
With Science World celebrating its twentieth anniversary, I wondered what was going on twenty years ago in science. The celebration slogan, "igniting minds" made me think of blowing things up. Which of course brought to mind, dynamite, invented by Alfred Nobel, who used all his money to set up the Nobel prizes. Not that Science World will help you win a Nobel prize. But out of curiosity, I looked at these 1989 Nobel prize winners for quotes hinting at what first ignited their minds in science.
Robert Furchgott, Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
"In Charleston I first became enamored of "natural history" when I attended nature study classes and field trips to nearby beaches, marshes and woods, sponsored by the Charleston Museum."
Harold E. Varmus, Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
"Life was enriched by frequent outings to Jones Beach State Park (where my father was the medical officer for many years), family skiing vacations to New England, and many outdoor adventures with the Boy Scouts and later the Putney Summer Work Camp."
J. Michael Bishop, Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
"During the summer months of my high-school years, I befriended Dr. Robert Kough, a physician who cared for members of my family. Although he was practicing general medicine in a rural community when I met him, he was well equipped to arouse in me an interest not only in the life of a physician but in the fundaments of human biology. His influence was to have a lasting impact."
Sidney Altman, Nobel Prize for Chemistry
"I am conscious of two events that sparked my early interest in science, the first being the appearance of the A-bomb. The mystique associated with the bomb, the role that scientists played in it, and its general importance could not fail to impress even a six-year old. About seven years later I was given a book about the periodic table of the elements. For the first time I saw the elegance of scientific theory and its predictive power. I should mention that while I was growing up, Einstein was presented as a worthy role model for a young boy who was good at his studies. I added various writers of fiction and stars of ice hockey and baseball to my pantheon."
Robert R. Cech, Nobel Prize for Chemistry
"My father, who loved physics as much as medicine, interjected a scientific approach and point of view into most every family discussion. I discovered science for myself in fourth grade, collecting rocks and minerals and worrying about how they were formed. By the time I was in junior high school, I would knock on Geology professors' doors at the University of Iowa, asking to see models of crystal structures and to discuss meteorites and fossils."
Norman F. Ramsay, Nobel Prize for Physics
"My early interest in science was stimulated by reading an article on the quantum theory of the atom"
Hans G. Dehmelt, Nobel Prize for Physics
"My father at that time expressed the opinion that I probably would be happier as a plumber. However, he apparently didn't quite believe this himself. Thus, in years before, he had bought me an erector set and books on the lives of famous inventors and Greek mythology, and when I was ill he had given me the encyclopedia to read. I supplemented the school curriculum with do-it-yourself radio projects until I had hardly any time left for my class work. "
Wolfgang Paul, Nobel Prize for Physics
"I grew up in München where my father has been a professor for pharmaceutic chemistry at the university. He had studied chemistry and medicin having been a research student in Leipzig with Wilhelm Ostwald, the Nobel Laureate 1909. So I became familiar with the life of a scientist in a chemical laboratory quite early."
Obviously, this is a tiny sample and I am not presenting this as evidence of anything. But it seems that experiences with nature, books, and role models were important influences to varying degrees. And I admit, the atomic bomb bit is kind of disturbing. I won't attempt to overanalyze their situations, but I couldn't help but notice they were all smart white men. I wondered if things were any different twenty years later. Here's the list of the Nobel winners in science for 2008:
2008 Nobel for Physiology or Medicine
Harald zur Hausen
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
Luc Montagnier
Osamu Shimomura
Martin Chalfie
Roger Y. Tsien
Yoichiro Nambu
Makoto Kobayashi
Toshihide Maskawa
What do you think? How has the world of science changed in the last twenty years?
