Yes, such unpredictable paths occur all the time. For example, Alan Cormack won the 1979 Nobel prize in physiology for his work which underpins computer reconstruction of CAT scans and MRI. Cormack's original purpose had nothing to do with physiology; rather, his purpose was to analyze data from particle detectors in the field of high energy physics.
See http://www.osti.gov/accomplishments/cat.html Walt -----Original Message----- From: john hull [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 8:16 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: (book review)The Case against Government Science That's not to say that basic research is not valuable, but it evidently follows strange and unpredictable paths. The Nobel winning chemist Dudly Herschback traced the path of work starting with Otto Stern 75 years ago on molecular rays (or beams) to test a prediction of quantum physics. It lead to the discovery of the laser, radio-astronomy, and nuclear magnetic resonance which lead to the MRI. Chemists who wanted to study crossed beams layed the groundwork for the discovery of the Buckyball, with the study that discovered it being motivated by studying interstellar spectra. And the Buckyball, in turn, may prove a key to shutting down an enzyme that governs the HIV virus' replication, not to mention the value it has as a strong and lightweight material. He ends the story by noting that, "No funding agency would find plausable a research proposal requesting support on supersonic beams or interstellar spectra as an approach to AIDS. But many such historical paths can be traced that celebrate hybridizing discoveries from seemingly unrelated patches of scientific gardens." -jsh __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com
