I could aim to get my own series on BBC 2 (watching and learning Coxy) or my own snazzy radio show (I am loving Material World on Radio 4, Thursdays, 16.30) but why aim so small? I want the respect and favourable notoriety of no less than a Nobel Prize. I want scientists screaming for me and holding their ears, throwing their GSK solvent impurities table at me to autograph...
It’s not the 10 million Swedish Krona that attracts me, nor the personal diploma and not even the bling of the medal: it’s that I have fulfilled the requirements to be awarded the honour. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry is awarded for ‘the most important chemical discovery or improvement.’
It’s not the 10 million Swedish Krona that attracts me, nor the personal diploma and not even the bling of the medal: it’s that I have fulfilled the requirements to be awarded the honour. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry is awarded for ‘the most important chemical discovery or improvement.’
Now as an early career researcher, I think it would be rather nano-minded of me to think that I was working on the most important chemical discovery/improvement (well, I’d be stupid to say it out loud) so I need to work on how to fast track myself to getting my nitrile gloved hands on the prize. After a little bit of research, I have made a short list of how to improve my chances.
• Get involved with a group of people that are within sniffing distance of the most important chemical discovery or improvement but only if that group has a total of two people in it. A Nobel Prize cannot be awarded to more than 3 people. Must still be nice to get an acknowledgment though, eh Rosalind?
• Must stay alive, at least until you been notified of your award.
• Must get more manly. This could be tricky but only 4 women have won the award for Chemistry so need to get those odds up.
• Must get more American. I have more chance of getting manly; my New Yoik accent is not great.
• A middle initial seems to help. I gave myself one of these on publishing, to make my rather common name slightly less common.
• Get involved with a group of people that are within sniffing distance of the most important chemical discovery or improvement but only if that group has a total of two people in it. A Nobel Prize cannot be awarded to more than 3 people. Must still be nice to get an acknowledgment though, eh Rosalind?
• Must stay alive, at least until you been notified of your award.
• Must get more manly. This could be tricky but only 4 women have won the award for Chemistry so need to get those odds up.
• Must get more American. I have more chance of getting manly; my New Yoik accent is not great.
• A middle initial seems to help. I gave myself one of these on publishing, to make my rather common name slightly less common.
I have went from Sarah and become Sarah D. Behold the difference.
Roger Y. Tsein, American, Nobel Prize winner 2008, is giving a talk in Edinburgh as part of the Faraday Discussion 149 conference in September. Perhaps I will go and be inspired. Must pack sharpie and solvent impurities table, just in case.
