I would like to add a comment to Stephen's response to Michael's post. (Thanks for the link to the Nobel's press release.) Eric Kandel's work on the synaptic basis of conditioning in the aplysia is basic science. The opportunities for applications from that research are still in the future and mostly in the hands and minds of scientists other than Kandel. I was particularly gratified to see this basic science recognized by the Nobel Committee. On the other hand, I have noticed that the press seems most interested in the applied aspects of this award as well as the one in physics. My guess is that the press is playing to their own perception of the public's interest in these awards. Dennis Dennis M. Goff Dept. of Psychology Randolph-Macon Woman's College Lynchburg, VA 24503 -----Original Message----- From: Stephen Black [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 2:29 PM To: TIPS Subject: Re: Nobel Prize:basic or applied On Tue, 10 Oct 2000, Michael Sylvester wrote: > As you might have read/heard by now the Nobel Prize for Medicine was > awarded > to scientists researching nerve cell communication factors. > What I find interesting is that those awards in Medicine usually > cite the practical applications of those discoveries. > It does not appear that just doing basic research -kmowledge > for knowledge sake- is sufficient. > After all ,there is extensive data on the dopamine neurotransmitter. > Just a thought as to if basic research without practical implications > amount to much. > Comments invited. As it happens, I was just preparing a few PowerPoint slides for my class in physiological psychology on the just-announced prizewinners in physiology. The Nobel Committee was thoughtful in announcing the award for neuroscience work I had just finished reviewing in class during the previous week. You can see the Nobel annoucement with some handy graphics at: http://nobel.sdsc.edu/announcement/2000/medicine.html In response to Michael, one of the three prizewinners was Arvid Carlsson, who first identified dopamine as a brain neurotransmitter. But the Nobel Committee also explicitly cited him for his work in recognizing that Parkinson's disease was caused by a lack of dopamine in the basal ganglia, and that l-dopa could be used as a treatment for it. It is still the single most important means of slowing the progress of the disorder. Carlsson was also cited for the fact that his work led to the development of antipsychotic drugs, notably against schizophrenia. Both of these achievements are certainly practical ones. -Stephen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------
