Americans Win 2006 Nobel Physics Prize

Davemania writes "CNN reports that the Nobel Prize in Physics has been award to John C. Mather and George F. Smoot for their contribution to the big-bang Theory." From the article: "Their work was based on measurements done with the help of the NASA-launched COBE satellite in 1989. They were able to observe the universe in its early stages about 380,000 years after it was born. Ripples in the light they detected also helped demonstrate how galaxies came together over time. 'The very detailed observations that the laureates have carried out from the COBE satellite have played a major role in the development of modern cosmology into a precise science,' the academy said in its citation." If you're interested, you can read a rundown on the prize-winning work (pdf) provided by the prize organization.

Comments

The award in medicine also went to Americans...

[b0r1s]

Zndrew Fire and Craig Mello won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering a way to turn off the effect of very specific genes by using RNA to interfere with cell function, a technique they expect to be able to use to fight cancer.

Re:4 for 4

[kfg]

Albert Michaelson, the first American to win a Nobel in the sciences was born German, although educated in the US. His parents came to America when little Albert was two years old to escape the German guild system (which also brought America Martin of guitar fame and Steinway of piano fame. Their experiments in instruments were illegal in Germany, violating guild rules).

Einstein, of course, was also born German and educated in Germany, Italy and Switzerland. He did his seminal work in Europe, but came to the US seeking an open climate and continued to do valuable work. Heisenberg, who remained in Germany effectively had his useful career cut short by being forced to abandon "reality based" science, because it was deemed "Jewish."

Iquiring minds want to know and they will go wherever it is they are allowed to think and publish freely. Those who choose to remain will, in large part, cease to do valuable work.

Of course, the true test will be to see if we can keep it up in a few years.

Exactly. Brain drains take time to manifest. Research takes time. By the time you can see a brain drain in results it is already over.

KFG

Re:I'd rather see ....

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't kid yourself, Americans have won a huge number of Nobel Peace Prizes. Americans don't win it every year, but more than a fair share of those prizes have gone to US citizens. Here is a list of American Nobel laurates:
1906: President Theodore Roosevelt
1912: Elihu Root
1919: President Thomas Woodrow Wilson
1925: Charles Gates Dawes
1929: Frank Billings Kellogg
1931: Jane Addams and Nicholas Murray Butler
1945: Cordell Hull
1946: Emily Greene Balch and John Raleigh Mott
1950: Ralph Bunche
1953: George Catlett Marshall
1962: Linus Carl Pauling
1964: Martin Luther King Jr.
1970: Norman E. Borlaug
1973: Henry A. Kissinger
1986: Elie Wiesel
1997: Jody Williams
2002: President Jimmy Carter

And here is a list of the Nobel laurate organizations that the US participates in:
1917, 1944, 1963 :International Committee of the Red Cross
1947: American Friends Service Committee (The Quakers)
1954, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2001 : UN or UN suborganizations
1985: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
1997: International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
2005: IAEA

Out of 93 people and 18 organizations, Americans have won 19 individual awards and have been associated with the awards of 12 of the 18 organizational awards. Whether you like it or not Americans have contributed a massive amount of mind power to the goal of peace in the world. Don't let your dislike of the current administration let you dishonor the impressive work that many US citizens have contributed.

Re:Scientific hokum

[Bryansix]

In an age where some stem cell research is banned for religious reasons, managing only to drive the research overseas, is it wise to ignore the battle between science and religion?

In my continuous effort to knock down straw man arguments, let me knock down yours. Stem Cell Research is not banned in the United States. Federal Government funding for Stem Cell research on embryonic stem cells taken from newly killed embryos (zygotes, whatever) is suspended. Funding for other kinds of stem cell research is still going on (Like adult stem cell research). In addition private companies with private funding can do whatever they want with Stem Cell research. Lastly the State of California voted (against my will) to spend it's own money (deficit) on funding embryonic stem cell research locally. Next time you might want to get your facts straight.

Re:Scientific hokum

[AgNO3]

Umm stem cell issue is not a religious issue. It is "right to life issue" Yes many anti abortion people are religious but it seem that the steem cell issue is more an issue people thinking that this research is a result of an aborted fetus which they believe should not have been aborted. Not sure what that has to do with religion. I know a fair amount of people on both sides of this issue and religion is on both sides. Yeah most anti abortion people are neo con but many are libs. You are confusing the loudest group with the whole group. Since someone will get all pissy and call BS.

http://prolife.liberals.com/ or the google result for pro life liberals

http://www.google.com/search?q=pro+life+liberals&i e=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial& client=firefox-a