Watson To Be Knighted

hobbes37 writes "BBC News is reporting that James Watson, one of the scientists who discovered the double helical structure of DNA nearly 50 years ago, is to receive an honorary knighthood."

Comments

Research or commerce

[Sprunkys]

Consider that this man has devoted his whole life to research, to knowledge, to finding answers. And then it takes ages for such a man to be rewarded for his research et al (though I must admit he received his Nobel Price quite early, compare to many other laureates, they are often older than 60 or so). Compare this to a businessman, a manager, a college graduate (with lower grades than his fellow student who goes into research) being paid way too much money to sit at a desk and order people around till the age of 60 when he retires and spends the rest of his life in his mansion... somewhere it doesn't seem right.

I still have several years till I have to make a decision between engaging in research/education or going into business (1st year Physics@Twente.NL) but it seems to me that the "reward" for my efforts I would get in research/education are less than when I would work for a big company, earning a lot of money (for them and for me)... what we overlook though is personal satisfaction. A Nobel Price would mean much more to me than a nice golden pen after twenty years of loyal work to whomever...
I wonder, how does the rest of the community look upon a matter like this?