As a science journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to interview several Nobel prize winners. Such high-profile scientists are usually pretty obsessed with their science and more than happy to talk about it all day. But it’s one thing to ask a Nobel winner to explain how her research fits into our greater understanding of life. Read More
Monday’s announcement of the Nobel prize in economics brought the number of women honored in this year’s Nobel Prizes to five (out of 13 total): “The largest number ever to join the ranks in a single year,” noted the Nobelprize.org Web site. It’s tough to know whether this is something to celebrate. Let’s set asi… Read More
As if to underscore the greatness of the monopoly-era Bell Laboratories, as described in the current Taken for Granted article on Science Careers, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences today announced that half the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to two veterans of the fabled research center. Willard Boyle, age 85, and George Smith… Read More