SFN 2005 Person of the Year

[Pangloss]

After some discussion amongst the staff, we have decided to institute a new annual tradition here at Science Forums and Debate: A Person of the Year contest!

 

For the next six days we would like our members to post nominations of scientists and engineers whom you feel made the biggest contribution during the year 2005. Please reply to this thread to do so, and when you do please include a full description of whom you are talking about, and why you feel their contribution is so important.

 

Once we have your suggestions, the staff will finalize a nominations list, and we will post a list of nominees, which all members will vote on next week. The final vote will be tallied and reported right at the end of the year.

 

Please remember to limit your nominations to science and engineering. That doesn't mean only scientists and engineers; it means people who have had the strongest influence on science and engineering pursuits.

 

Post away!

[AL]

If you had posted this several weeks ago, I would've nominated Dr. Woo Suk Hwang for his work on stem cells. Too bad it's come to light that he's a fraud! For shame.

[silkworm]

I'd give it to Dover, Pennsylvania for defending themselves against lunacy. They voted for their children to be taught the truth, even when the ratio of churches to people in that town is ridiculous.

[Pangloss]

That's an interesting nomination, Silkworm.

[Mike Kovich]

I second that Silkworm provided us with.

My nomination: Dover, Pennsylvania.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Dover isn't exactly a person, however.

[silkworm]

Dover isn't exactly a person, however.

 

They aren't scientists and engineers either, however their stand may be very important for future generations of scientists and engineers, and teaches a very valuable lesson for politicians being lobbied to do something that isn't the best for the community they represent, even when the demographics make it look like it. Dover was invaded, and Dover kicked the invaders out for the good of the future of their children.

 

That's why I nominate Dover, Pennsylvania as SFN's 2005 Person of the Year for making a stand for the future of scientific education in America. Because:

 

That doesn't mean only scientists and engineers; it means people who have had the strongest influence on science and engineering pursuits.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I see.

 

In any case, Dover did the right thing in my opinion. I'd vote for them if there were no other good nominees.

[Pangloss]

Let me just throw out a few general, categorical suggestions to help get the ball rolling:

 

- Nobel prize winners

- Heads of state or other government employees

- Corporate and organization leaders

[Helix]

George Bush for proving conclusively that neural degeneration is indeed infectious and to the Christian Right who furthered that hypothesis.

 

Just kidding (sort of).

 

I nominate Barry Marshall for his work with Helicobacter pylori and his courage in proving that H. pylori is the culprit behind ulcers by ingesting a sample and becoming sick. He's in the vein of Hillary Kaprowski, which is never a bad thing and disspelled old myths about how ulcers form and therefore how to treat them more effectively.

[Bluenoise]

George Bush for proving conclusively that neural degeneration is indeed infectious and to the Christian Right who furthered that hypothesis.

 

I second that!

[Pangloss]

Actually I think (though perhaps other mods/admins may disagree) that nominations need to have a serious basis. For example, you could validly nominate George Bush on the basis of his impact on funding for embryonic stem cell research, and fueling the debate for increased morality in scientific research. Whether you agree with him or not on the issue is irrelevent for our purposes here. (And in fact any debate on the subject in THIS thread will be unceremoniously squashed by yours truly.)

 

I believe that subject was part of Time's basis for making him Man of the Year in 2004.

[ecoli]

I believe that subject was part of Time's basis for making him Man of the Year in 2004.

 

Very true... which is why Hitler came up as a nominee for Time's Man of the Century back in 2000.

[silkworm]

Hey are we sending this person/people (more specifically Dover, Pennsylvania) an award or something? If so, what? I'm about as fringe homeless as it gets, but I'll chip in.

[ecoli]

Hey are we sending this person/people (more specifically Dover, Pennsylvania) an award or something? If so, what? I'm about as fringe homeless as it gets, but I'll chip in.

 

I'm pretty sure it's just an honorary thing.

[starbug1]

I nominate Roy J. Glauber "for his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence." He won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics after all. That's gotta mean something. He also did it in the "World Year of Physics" according to wikipedia, the 100th year of Einstein's famous three papers.

[Phi for All]

Since Dover really can't be a Person of the Year, how about U.S. District Judge John E. Jones for his ruling against the teaching of Intelligent Design? He may not be a scientist or an engineer, but he's certainly the architect of the "breathtaking inanity'' argument against teaching religion wrapped up as bad science in public schools.

[silkworm]

Since Dover really can't be a Person of the Year, how about U.S. District Judge John E. Jones for his ruling against the teaching of Intelligent Design? He may not be a scientist or an engineer, but he's certainly the architect of the "breathtaking inanity'' argument against teaching religion wrapped up as bad science in public schools.

 

I was thinking about that too, Phi for All, but there is no way any other decision should have come down (though I do admit I was worried). Should you reward a man for simply not making his own trial a miscarriage of justice or should you just give him a handshake or a pat on the butt for doing his job?

[Pangloss]

Come on, you guys aren't trying! Let's hear some creativity!

 

 

I'd like to nominate Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center. Not only for his work in keeping the public informed, but in his efforts to keep politics out of the science of meteorology. Dr. Mayfield is, in my view, the epitome of what a "government scientists" should be.

[Pangloss]

Anybody want to make a case for Larry Page and Sergei Brin?

[swansont]

The problem with nominating Nobel prize winners is that you are recognizing them for the award. The work they did to deserve the Nobel happened in years past. That's one reason there's a latency period for the award - it often takes time to see the impact of discovery.

[silkworm]

I am in agreement with swansont on the Nobel Prize winners.

[ecoli]

indeed. So I guess now the question would be, how do nominate the scientist for a "man of the year" prize, when there work is hardly ever done within that year, and you can't realize the implications of that work in that year?

[Pangloss]

Interesting points.

 

My gut feeling is that you go with what events had impact in the year 2005. Publications, media attention, impact on policy, etc.

[silkworm]

My gut feeling is that you go with what events had impact in the year 2005. Publications, media attention, impact on policy, etc.

 

That's why I'm sticking with Dover, Pennsylvania.

 

indeed. So I guess now the question would be, how do nominate the scientist for a "man of the year" prize, when there work is hardly ever done within that year, and you can't realize the implications of that work in that year?

 

Probably whoever's work has had a new impact to the world on the year is the way I'd go. Like, whoever developed GPS (which I have no idea from which it came) would have been a great nominee for last year.