István Hargittai, The Road to Stockholm: Nobel Prizes, Science and Scientists [Book Review]

Abstract

For better or for worse, there is no doubt that the Nobel Prize plays a special role in contemporary science. Every year in October, when the rest of the country is beginning to anticipate the World Series, I'm sure at least some of my friends at Caltech can be found sitting by their telephones, waiting for them to ring at 5 AM, the traditional time for the call from Stockholm.Years ago, a physicist I know used to offer $100, cash on the barrel-head, in exchange for the rights to the prize money of any of his university colleagues. As far as I know, he never had a taker. Every scientist is a sucker for the chance of winning The Prize.

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