Nobel Prize in Medicine Contested

GeoGreg writes "The AP is reporting that Dr. Raymond Damadian is asking the Nobel committee to add him to the list of recipients of this year's prize in medicine. His company claims that he made the key discovery leading to MRI, and that the two recipients (Paul Laterbur and Peter Mansfield) made technological improvements. This link indicates that Damadian showed that magnetic resonance could distinguish between types of tissue, while Laterbur and Mansfield showed that images could be formed using magnetic resonance."

Comments

Re:Well

[Daniel Dvorkin]

If he's been overlooked, that's too bad, and maybe the Nobel Committee screwed up. But they're not going to change their minds, and by whining about it, he just makes himself look bitter. He's exactly right -- they are "above the law and accountable to no one." And that means they can give their prize to whomever they damn well choose.

Right now, even though there are other awards that have a higher monetary value, the Nobel is the most prestigious because of its name and history. If they have a few spectacular screwups, maybe that won't be the case any more, and Damadian will be vindicated. But that's history's judgement to make.