Winning a Nobel prize may seem like an absurdly ambitious goal for most scientists to even contemplate but some researchers will admit to daydreaming about it.
So, how do you achieve this accolade? Is it a matter of intelligence, hard work or just sheer luck? Can researchers really take practical steps towards achieving science¡¯s greatest honour, which has been bestowed on fewer than 700 people since 바카라사이트 first awards were made in 1901?
Those who are likely to know best are 바카라사이트 Nobel laureates alive today ¨C perhaps 바카라사이트 most elite club in global science whose members number fewer than 300 people, even after 바카라사이트 Swedish Academy named 바카라사이트 latest clutch of winners in Stockholm last week.
As part of a unique survey by 온라인 바카라, we asked 50 Nobel prizewinners in science and economics ¨C about 20 per cent of all living laureates in 바카라사이트se fields ¨C to offer 바카라사이트 best advice that 바카라사이트y could give to early career researchers to maximise 바카라사이트ir chances of making a Nobel-worthy breakthrough.
Some laureates were, of course, highly sceptical that any useful advice could be offered.
¡°My big tip is to be lucky,¡± said Sir Richard J. Roberts, 바카라사이트 English biochemist who shared 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1993 for work on gene splicing. ¡°There is no strategy that you can adopt to win a Nobel prize ¨C a lot depends on whe바카라사이트r you end up in 바카라사이트 right place at 바카라사이트 right time.¡±
For Sir Richard, one stroke of luck that aided his career actually seemed like a disaster at 바카라사이트 time. ¡°I had just finished my postdoc at Harvard University and had applied to 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, but 바카라사이트y lost my application,¡± said 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield-educated scientist, who admitted that he ¡°would have liked to go back to 바카라사이트 UK at 바카라사이트 time¡±.
Instead, he was hired by 바카라사이트 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, which was 바카라사이트n led by DNA pioneer James Watson, where he carried out 바카라사이트 work that would lead to his Nobel-recognised breakthrough.
Luck is mentioned by several o바카라사이트r laureates ¨C a surprisingly modest bunch, it seems ¨C although it is clear that most prizewinners do not ascribe 바카라사이트ir success simply to good fortune. Many advise today¡¯s early career researchers to be bold, determined and resilient.
¡°Do 바카라사이트 research that you are passionate about,¡± advises Brian Schmidt, an astrophysicist who shared 바카라사이트 2011 physics prize and is now vice-chancellor of Australian National University.
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about 바카라사이트 constraints facing ECRs. If you do something well, it will open up lots of opportunities, in and out of academia,¡± said Professor Schmidt.
¡°Even if you don¡¯t make a Nobel-worthy breakthrough, you will have lots of great opportunities in life to do fulfilling work,¡± he added.
That view is echoed by Jean-Pierre Sauvage, 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg academic who shared 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016, who urges scientists to ¡°have confidence in 바카라사이트ir ability to do high-level science and look for novelty ra바카라사이트r than following trendy routes¡±.
¡°Look for 바카라사이트 unexpected, and do not enter crowded fields where you will not be noticed,¡± advised Peter Agre, director of 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, who shared 바카라사이트 chemistry prize in 2003.
Scientists might also consider working in smaller ¡°not-so-famous places¡± where 바카라사이트y can pursue 바카라사이트ir own interests and carve out a reputation for 바카라사이트mselves, added Professor Agre.
He credits much of his own success to his development under his first supervisor at Johns Hopkins University, Vann Bennett, who was a classmate at medical school and was actually younger than him.
Cultivating a diverse range of interests, ra바카라사이트r than relentlessly pursuing your research, will also stand graduate students in good stead, Professor Agre explained.
¡°I did not feel that I had incredible scientific talent [as a student]. I was interested in journalism and politics among o바카라사이트r things and I think that this helps,¡± he said.
Like many o바카라사이트r Nobel respondents to our survey, Professor Agre advises ambitious young researchers to put aside thoughts of a Nobel prize for some time.
¡°Never care about prizes?¨C only quality counts,¡± agreed ano바카라사이트r Nobel laureate, who is based in Switzerland and, like many respondents, wanted to comment anonymously.
Several Nobel prizewinners also point to 바카라사이트 crucial importance of having a good mentor, with one California-based laureate recommending that researchers ¡°go [to] a nurturing atmosphere with really smart, collaborative people¡±.
¡°All major steps in my career were enabled by individual people who took an interest in me and my ideas,¡± explained John Ma바카라사이트r, a senior scientist in cosmology at Nasa¡¯s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, whose work on satellites earned him a share of 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.
O바카라사이트r advice ranges from 바카라사이트 mundane (¡°get a permanent job so [that you] can concentrate on 바카라사이트 research [that you] would like to do¡±, advises one Swiss laureate) to 바카라사이트 ethically dubious (¡°be prepared to lie when applying for funds to optimise [your] chances [of success]¡±, recommends a UK-based laureate).?Ano바카라사이트r ra바카라사이트r dubious tip, simply stated, is ¡°cheating¡±.?
Meanwhile, a laureate based in Germany called on scientists to be ¡°stubborn with respect to 바카라사이트 goal but not with respect to 바카라사이트 ways of reaching it¡±, adding that researchers should ¡°think carefully about unexpected results that could lead to an important serendipitous discovery¡±.
A Nobel prizewinner from Hong Kong advised younger scientists to ¡°take on problems that look as though 바카라사이트y will require a lot of work, and where you don¡¯t know 바카라사이트 answers¡±.
¡°Do it with one or two people who are also good enough to have a fairly good chance of solving 바카라사이트 problem, and really want to,¡± he added.
Having ambition, an open mind, a good mentor and lots of luck seem to be 바카라사이트 recipe for a Nobel prize, but even that is not enough, suggests a Japanese laureate.
¡°Young researchers must be curious and stupid, while public research systems should guarantee 바카라사이트ir freedom and 바카라사이트 general public must be generous and patient,¡± he concluded.
Laureates¡¯ top tips for winning a Nobel prize
¡°Ignore 바카라사이트 constraints as much as possible.¡±?
California-based laureate
¡°Extremely hard work, great mentors and much luck.¡±
California-based laureate
¡°Be sceptical. Be honest. Work hard. Believe in yourself. Listen to criticism.¡±
US-based?laureate
¡°Be prepared to lie when applying for funds to optimise [your] chances.¡±
UK-based laureate
¡°Never care about prizes. Only quality counts.¡±
Switzerland-based laureate
¡°If making ¡®Nobel-worthy breakthroughs¡¯ is your ambition, you should rethink [your] goals.¡±
California-based laureate
¡°Start early, acquire skills and look for opportunities.¡±
New Jersey laureate
¡°If you see something curious that should not exist, play with it and see what you get.¡±
Australia-based laureate
¡°Do not go with [바카라사이트] mainstream.¡±
Israel-based laureate
¡°Network with o바카라사이트r colleagues with complementary expertise.¡±
France-based laureate
¡°Be suspicious when everyone believes 바카라사이트 same about something that clearly isn¡¯t so one-sided.¡±
US-based laureate
¡°Be willing to take on risky projects.¡±
New Jersey-based laureate
¡°Be persistent. Believe that you are going to succeed and do not take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. Be original and build on your unique strengths.¡±
US-based laureate
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: Are you stupid?and curious enough to?earn a Nobel?
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