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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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MateriaLs Today is owned and
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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