Nobel sentiments

Nobel sentiments

EDITORIRL m0 i01st Jug Published by Elsevier Science Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington, OX5 1GB, UK Editorial Publisher, Amanda Weaver Edi...

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EDITORIRL

m0 i01st Jug Published by Elsevier Science Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington, OX5 1GB, UK Editorial

Publisher, Amanda Weaver Editor, Cordelia Sealy Editorial Assistant, Catherine McNeil[

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Nobel sentiments This year marked the centenary of the Nobel Foundation. The

science - with its 'freedom of inquiry' driven by scientific

announcement of the 2001 winners was somewhat dwarfed

curiosity - and technology. Ironically enough, such a

by the events that foltowed the atrocities of September 11 th.

separation would probably seem an anathema to Nobel who

The sentiments on which the prizes were founded, however,

was himself an inventor and entrepreneur.

make pertinent reading in the current scientific climate. But Greenberg also presents a disturbing image of a research The words of Alfred Nobel's will on the allocation of the prizes

machine that has lost sight of its purpose to be of 'benefit of

are simple and well known, "...to those who, during the

mankind'. With the book's title revealing the essence of his

Free circulation enquiries MateriaLs Today, Tower House,

preceding year, shal[ have conferred the greatest benefit on

thesis, he asserts that the drive for more funding has tainted

Sovereign Park, Market Harborough

mankind." This year's recipients amply demonstrate such

science and pushed ethical considerations into a back seat.

principles at work (see page 6). Corneii, Wieman, and

One of the crucial probtems, as he sees it, is a lack of criticism

Ketter[e's realization of Bose-Einstein could provide a route

from outside the scientific establishment. And here indeed the

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from theoretical physics to novel applications. The chiral

'scientific enterprise', as Greenberg calls it, finds itself in a

catalysts developed by Knowles, Noyori, and Sharp[ess are

conundrum. With scientists often complaining that what

already in use in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals such as

media coverage there is tends to faU into a 'heroes' or

L-DOPA and widely useful antibiotics. The Nobel for

'enemies' mentality, could such an external and independent

Physiology and Medicine awarded to three scientists for their

'science critic' exist? Is it possible - or even desirable - for a

work on the cell cycle in yeast and sea urchins shows how, like

generalist to comment on the specialist?

published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All

the physics prize, fundamental science can have an enormous

material published in Materials Today is copyright ELsevier Science Ltd.

but perhaps, to the lay eye, less obvious impact out of the lab

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- in this case on cancer treatment.

Whatever view one takes on Greenberg's standpoint, the consideration and debate of such issues can only be good. To quote from Greenberg's Epilogue, "The object is to encourage

The pressure to be 'beneficial to mankind' and 'technologicat[y

science to bear its responsibilities in a new millennium

relevant' is undoubtedly present in scientific research, but the

dominated by the works of science". A noble sentiment indeed.

best way to reach such goals is subject to hotter debate. How is the pursuit of fundamental research that may - or may not - have immediate concrete benefits to be balanced with more directly 'applied' work? Such is one of the questions raised in Daniel S. Greenberg's book Science, Money and Politics:

Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion [The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (2001)]. Greenberg traces the roots of

Cordelia Seaty

this recent dichotomy back to Vannevar Bush's separation of

Editor

Printed by EclipseCo[our Print Ltd, Kett erieg. U K ISSN 1396-7021 Journal number: 03069

November/December

2001

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