Australia, just like every other small country, is immeasurably proud of the few high achievers. Few Nobel Prize Winners, mostly in the field of immunology.
This year, the Nobel Prize Winners of Physiology & Medicine goes to Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren. Both Australians, mind you. And a most surprising award in my point of view.
They discoevered that Helicobacter causes stomach ulcers. At that time, stomach ulcers were pretty common and blamed on a stressful lifestyle and bad diet. Incidently, the famous James Watson (who along with Francis Crick discovered the double helix) complained of stomach ulcers while he was undertaking his PhD, and made his ground breaking discovery soon after. Stomach ulcers at a mere 20-odd years of age.
Anyways, our aussie nobel laureates discovered that Helicobacter was required for the acquisition of stomach ulcers but there was alot of controversy and some people refused to believe them because they could not prove it on a human subject. So, being the ever determined scientist, one of them (cant remember who) made up a culture of bacteria, drank it, and developed stomach ulcers. Irrefutably proving his point, and causing a domino effect on redefining the causes of many other "mystery illnesses".
This is where the surprise comes in. I had heard that he then went on to develop stomach cancer and died! But apparently not because just a couple of weeks ago he was present to recieve his nobel prize :p
Anyways, congratulations to them. Boohaha to my lecturer Christopherson who predicted that the next aussie nobel laureate was gonnabe this other dude from Canberra. And yes. This has sparked my hope of ever recieving a nobel prize. A dream I shoved aside when I realised just how ground breaking work had to be in order to be even considered for nomination. But now... I dunno. I mean... Helicobacter isn't really all that groundbreaking.... Last year's nobel laureates on ubiquitin was really alot more admirable, in my opinion.
*shrugs* meh.
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This year, the Nobel Prize Winners of Physiology & Medicine goes to Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren. Both Australians, mind you. And a most surprising award in my point of view.
They discoevered that Helicobacter causes stomach ulcers. At that time, stomach ulcers were pretty common and blamed on a stressful lifestyle and bad diet. Incidently, the famous James Watson (who along with Francis Crick discovered the double helix) complained of stomach ulcers while he was undertaking his PhD, and made his ground breaking discovery soon after. Stomach ulcers at a mere 20-odd years of age.
Anyways, our aussie nobel laureates discovered that Helicobacter was required for the acquisition of stomach ulcers but there was alot of controversy and some people refused to believe them because they could not prove it on a human subject. So, being the ever determined scientist, one of them (cant remember who) made up a culture of bacteria, drank it, and developed stomach ulcers. Irrefutably proving his point, and causing a domino effect on redefining the causes of many other "mystery illnesses".
This is where the surprise comes in. I had heard that he then went on to develop stomach cancer and died! But apparently not because just a couple of weeks ago he was present to recieve his nobel prize :p
Anyways, congratulations to them. Boohaha to my lecturer Christopherson who predicted that the next aussie nobel laureate was gonnabe this other dude from Canberra. And yes. This has sparked my hope of ever recieving a nobel prize. A dream I shoved aside when I realised just how ground breaking work had to be in order to be even considered for nomination. But now... I dunno. I mean... Helicobacter isn't really all that groundbreaking.... Last year's nobel laureates on ubiquitin was really alot more admirable, in my opinion.
*shrugs* meh.
Read more...
4 comments:
wow. drinking the bacteria to prove his point. it's funny:
- if it didn't affect him, he'd be alive, but not have the prize
- because it did, he died, but got the prize.
.... hope tet's going well today for his preso....
yeah :P fure~ lol
Brave. But I guess he believed his theory was true.
yawn....................................................hehe
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