Nobel Prize 2020

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Hopikrishnan, Oct 8, 2020.

  1. Hopikrishnan

    Hopikrishnan Platinum IL'ite

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    This year's Chemistry prize winners. For their work in gene editing.
    What Is CRISPR? | Live Science
    Emmanuelle Charpentier (left) and Jennifer Doudna (right) won this year’s chemistry Nobel for the development of a powerful way to change DNA.
    [​IMG]
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Two more women joined the list. Louise Glück for literature and Andrea M. Ghez for physics. Great to see four women in the winners this year.

    With the efforts to increase the representation of women in science, politics and everywhere, I sometimes wonder if that in any way dilutes the honor of winning the prize or similar accolade.

    Like, we know Kamala Harris was chosen as running mate because she is a woman. We do need such increased representation but personally for the woman, does it feel different if the same honor of selection is achieved without the "increase the number of women in science/politics/..." movement in place.
     
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  3. Hopikrishnan

    Hopikrishnan Platinum IL'ite

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    Science in high altitudes is rife with politics. Many innovative women in Science had been robbed of justified recognition in the past. Some stories had become famous, but hundreds of others were never told. There are struggles from academic tenure, research funding, protecting self from professional sniping, harassments of all kinds, and so on. When a representative of a class that had been struggling with all that can achieve a big prize, it is celebratory even if there'd been a movement in place.

    I really liked the photo in the first post. Nobel prize recipients are often old, and at the end of their scientific careers. Nobel is given only to people who are still among us. The two in that photo, hands joined like primary school kids on school trip :grinning:, is so nice to see.
     
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  4. nuss

    nuss Platinum IL'ite

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    No, nothing is given just because of the gender. In most cases, women and other minorities have to accomplish more than men to be recognized. I am speaking from my experience as a woman in science.

    As far as this Nobel prize (Chemistry 2020), we molecular biologists had been waiting for last 2-3 years. The work of these women is remarkable. There have been so many remarkable women activists, writers, scientists, and artists that have remain unnoticed. It is high time to recognize their contribution. Scientific success build upon the work of so many people and a lot of women do the groundbreaking work without getting recognition. A lot more men used to receive Nobel and other prizes because women weren’t even allowed to have positions of power. Many universities and research institutes didn’t used to hire women professors as recent as 60s. Women have been holding these positions and leading for only last 30-40 years. I would like to see all women laureates someday in my lifetime!

    As for Kamala Harris’s nomination- she is as accomplished and then some as other democratic candidates. Her being a woman is a cherry on top, not the whole pie.

    As RBG famously said when asked how many women on the Supreme Court are enough, NINE, because there have been nine men on the Supreme Court and no one ever asked why nine men.
     
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