Press Statement - April 30, 1997
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| Media contact: | Peter West< | (703) 306-1070 | pwest@nsf.gov |
Statement By Dr. Neal Lane
Director, National Science Foundation
On the 1997 National Medal of Science Recipients
I am honored to congratulate the nine recipients of the 1997 National Medal of Science - the United States' equivalent of the Nobel Prize - and am proud to note that the National Science Foundation supported some of their groundbreaking research. Unfortunately, our joy is tempered by the recent death of Martin Schwarzschild, the Higgins Professor of Astronomy Emeritus at Princeton University. Dr. Schwarzschild will be recognized posthumously for his unsurpassed insights into the theory of the evolution of stars and into the dynamics of galaxies.
That said, I heartily commend all of the medalists for their efforts on behalf of science. Each of these outstanding researchers are, in their respective fields, "superstars." Without detracting at all from the dedication, talent and hard work that our greatest entertainers and athletes invest in their endeavors, however, I would have to say that the analogy fails to convey the long-range implications of the medalists' contributions and the potential for the betterment of human life that their research makes possible. Only last month, the world was stunned by the implications of the discovery that scientists in Scotland had succeeded in rearing an adult sheep, cloned from a single cell. Yet the cloning of "Dolly," for all its profoundly exciting and troubling scientific and social implications, would not have been possible without the seminal work on the structure of the human genetic code conducted more than 30 years ago by James D. Watson, one of this year's Medal recipients.
Others among this year's winners have made similarly fundamental discoveries that have led, for example, to a better understanding of phenomena ranging from the molecular basis of cancer to the formation, structure and age of our planet. Others are being recognized for research that has helped us to understand how human beings learn; how we can influence our environment by altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere; and for contributing to the great mosaic of human knowledge about the nature of chemical elements, nuclear fission and fusion and mathematics. Most scientists, even those who have received the Medal of Science, toil in anonymity, with little hope or expectation of public acclaim or financial reward. So it is fitting that on this one day at least, we shine a spotlight on the benefits bestowed on society by the very best minds in modern science and applaud these sterling contributions to humanity's store of knowledge.
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