As news of this year's Nobel Prizes come out, I am left wondering what practical benefit some of these discoveries have outside understanding basic principles in the universe and chemical reactions, etc.
People in their busy and sometimes financially-stressed lives may see pots of money and honors being bestowed for innovative ideas, fabricated inventions, or other things the layperson really cannot grasp without some help. The public may continue to see science as frozen above their lives in an ivory tower if they do not have a place to visit, some web page, where the practical future value of a discovery, may be unpacked for them.
Or is there a role for the humanities in making a bridge between science and the public? Just a thought.
Any comments? Your input is always most welcome.
Here are the basics.
1. Scientists apply for funding by writing a Proposal for Research. The vast proportion don't get their proposal funded. GOTO 1
2. Scientists then do basic research. This is often driven by curiosity, rather than to deliberately better humankind's condition. Funding comes from BIG Foundations who offer some money to some researchers to do research in some areas with 2, 3 or 4 letter acronyms (TB, ICT, AIDS etc). The research may not work out. GOTO 1
3. The research is “written up” (terrible expression).
4. The research is submitted for publication. If not accepted, GOTO 1. If conditionally accepted, GOTO 3.
5. The BIG Companies read the research and decide to develop the idea. If not GOTO 1.
6. The BIG Companies run BIG field trials on animals and then humans to e.g., prove manufacturability, safety, efficacy, efficiency, side-effects and to determine dosage levels. If one of these tests fails then GOTO 5.
7. The BIG Companies apply to the appropriate Administration for the product to be sold, reporting all their results. If the application fails, then GOTO 5.
8. The BIG Companies market the product. If it is not accepted by the public, then GOTO 1
Even if fast-tracked by cash Nobel prizes, and plenty of publicity it will take a decade to get the idea from 1 to 8. Don't hold your breath. Your children or their children will benefit.
There is a role for the humanities in making a bridge between science and the public.
- SciFi writers can write Hard Scifi.
- Screen writers can recast the mad scientist as a good, meticulous researcher.
- History teachers can teach the history of science.
- English teachers can teach how a research report is created.
2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.
You know that cancer is one of humanity’s greatest health challenges. Before this method cancer treatment consisted of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal treatments. They discovered how to fight cancer using the body's immune system, a way to unleash our immune cells to attack tumours by turning off proteins that put the brakes on.
I think, this cancer therapy has more than practical benefit.
I'm really interested in the Nobel Prizes awarded for fraudulent work. See:
https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2015/10/nobel_prizes_awarded_for_disproved_discoveries.html
As an example, from the above url, '1926, when Johannes Fibiger won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for "for his discovery of the Spiroptera carcinoma." In layman's terms, he found a tiny parasitic worm that causes cancer'.
Yes, a very good and relevant question! For example, I believe that my idea, the project pulls up to Nobel, this is serious! Well, where should I start?
Great question! I agree with many of the other comments. In addition, people should be aware that the selection of Nobel Prize winners is a highly secretive affair. I believe the candidates are selected by a small group of university professors. Often, deserving individuals are not selected. Also, sometimes a deserving individual who has died is not considered. Rosalind Franklin, for example, passed away before the prize was awarded, although her work was key to the discovery of the DNA structure. A good book about the Nobel Prizes is called "Prize Fight," by Morton A. Meyers, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2012 (ISBN-978-0-230-33890-6). The book discusses some of the more glaring omissions.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry