I understand your concern, but its misplaced in this instance. Mather and Smoot conceived of COBE, helped secure the funding, managed the instrument development, and processed the data. Of course, they didn't do it themselves, but the scores of engineers at NASA Goddard (where the spacecraft was built), UC berkeley, LLNL, and other partners that worked on COBE and its instruments will take some pride in today's selection.
Slashdot Mirror
I understand your concern, but its misplaced in this instance. Mather and Smoot conceived of COBE, helped secure the funding, managed the instrument development, and processed the data. Of course, they didn't do it themselves, but the scores of engineers at NASA Goddard (where the spacecraft was built), UC berkeley, LLNL, and other partners that worked on COBE and its instruments will take some pride in today's selection.