Big-Money Prizes

I would like to add a comment on the essay by Harriet Zuckerman on scientific prizes [Opinion, The Scientist, Nov. 11, 1996, page 10]. She mentions the moneys, some very substantial, that accompany the prizes. To me these monetary awards are a disgrace. They skew the meanings of the accomplishments, have nothing to do with the science, distort the public view of the science, and send a wrong impression to younger scientists.

I would suggest to the Nobel Prize committee that in the future they discontinue giving the money to the awardee; that they set the money aside for a research grant, or a teaching grant, or one of several fellowships to be given in the awardees' names. The choices would result from consultations between the committee and the awardees. The honor of the donor, of the recipient, of science itself would be greatly enhanced.

I would...