“Because it is the most effective way of learning about the physical world, it erodes superstition, ignorance and prejudice, which have been at the root of the denial of human rights throughout history...” 2/2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Ta... www.nature.com/articles/459...

Sounds like something an LLM would say. xkcd.com/331

Agreed! Times change, and we all need to recognize our opportunities. Institutions too.

I'm willing to bet we will not see another patent clerk Nobel prizewinner in my lifetime. (And the Nobel prize is okay, but is a very constrained set of recognitions-- there are more advances worth recognition).

That isn't to say that it's okay to pile demands on researchers. Proper support and time is certainly essential.

It's just that it's not so clear that HHMI/Janelia or MPI has a special formula for progress. Multiple models are okay. 2/2

Properly funding research brings progress.

It's also true that Curie had to teach and had little funding, McClintock did too and was at a state school in Missouri, Nakamura was modestly funded at a company, Salk had to teach and practice, Borlaug had to teach too, Einstein was a patent clerk. 1/2

Good one! I enjoyed Charles H. Townes' book "How the Laser Happened: Adventures Of a Scientist" on this topic. Yes, a bit of a race too, but like you said, it unlocked a ton of science (like DNA did).

Einstein laid the foundation for the maser and lived to see it realized (but not the laser).

It's fun to write headlines cribbed from last night's mad libs session.

I miss you guys! And the goats.

Wasn't there in July 2010.

If construction went into 2011, it was just finishing up. I don't recall the construction at all.

Google Streetview shows it being done sometime between 2007 and 2012.