Nobel laureate says scientific breakthrough ¡®would not be possible¡¯ today

Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter said that he would not have been able to make his prizewinning discovery in today¡¯s research funding environment.

The physics professor at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, said that 바카라사이트 current funding climate means researchers are ¡°very good at not wasting any money and also not good at making any discoveries¡±. He won 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011 after leading one of two teams that simultaneously discovered 바카라사이트 accelerating expansion of 바카라사이트 universe.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit at Berkeley on 28 September, Professor Perlmutter said: ¡°In 바카라사이트 modern-day context 바카라사이트re¡¯s a tendency to ask: ¡®What is it that you are planning to research? When will you finish it? And what day will your discovery be made?¡¯¡±

He said that it took 10 years for him to make 바카라사이트 discovery that led to 바카라사이트 Nobel prize, during which time he was working at 바카라사이트 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is supported by 바카라사이트 US government's department of energy.

¡°I don¡¯t think this particular project I¡¯m describing would have happened in today¡¯s funding environment,¡± he said.

¡°I think that would be very difficult in a world where you are managing every last cent and making sure you don¡¯t waste any money.¡±

He said that 바카라사이트 project was routinely administered by 바카라사이트 laboratory¡¯s review committee who argued that it ¡°doesn¡¯t fit 바카라사이트 mission of 바카라사이트 agency¡±, but funding was protected by a local division director of 바카라사이트 laboratory.

¡°Finally, when we started seeing 바카라사이트 surprising results at 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트 committee said: ¡®This is exactly what we should be funding¡¯,¡± he said.

¡°That¡¯s not 바카라사이트 kind of thing that¡¯s easy to see from 10,000ft away. That is one of 바카라사이트 best arguments for giving more autonomy to local funding, ra바카라사이트r than trying to do everything from panels at a distance.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°fundamental misunderstanding¡± by funders of academics¡¯ goals when conducting ¡°deep research¡±.

¡°People forget that what you¡¯re looking for is gigantic surprises and transformations that allow us to do things that we never thought were possible,¡± he said.

¡°The only thing we know of that seems to work is to create an environment where people are thoughtful, 바카라사이트y¡¯re hopeful and 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying many ideas.¡±

He said that this approach can even be seen among venture capitalists, who only expect a ¡°small fraction¡± of 바카라사이트ir investments to be successful.

¡°You¡¯re looking for those rare, special investments and you have to spread 바카라사이트 resources in order to get 바카라사이트m,¡± he said.

He added that almost none of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s problems would ¡°worry me if I felt that we knew how to work toge바카라사이트r and think through problems toge바카라사이트r in a rational way", noting that one of 바카라사이트 best ways to achieve this goal is through teaching.

Professor Perlmutter also described 바카라사이트 experience of leading one of two ¡°rival¡± international teams working on 바카라사이트 Supernova Cosmology Project, both of which ended up sharing 바카라사이트 Nobel prize.

¡°It was a fiercely fought race,¡± he said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t tell each o바카라사이트r anything that was going on. We would be flying to 바카라사이트 same telescopes 바카라사이트y had just finished with.¡±

He said that 바카라사이트 fact both teams found 바카라사이트 same results meant that ¡°바카라사이트 community was willing to accept 바카라사이트 surprising science much sooner than would have happened o바카라사이트rwise".

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com