On Aug 20, 2007, at 2:23 PM, Robin van Spaandonk wrote:
In reply to Horace Heffner's message of Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:16:11
-0800:
Hi,
[snip]
Probably deservedly so. Isn't the committee fairly strict about
credentials though? Mills is an MD working outside his field
isn't he?
Most _breakthroughs_ come from people working outside their field.
This is
because they are less likely to know what "can't" be done. Slow steady
improvement usually comes from people working within their field.
I think breakthroughs often come from the young folks in the field.
My question, though, is that, regardless the value of the work, isn't
it true the committee is not likely to give a prize to someone
without substantial credentials in the field, at least in physics. I
don't recall any fringe stuff ever making it.
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
