Three Chemist Win Nobel Prize

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/science/09nobel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Yes, this article DID NOT come from cnn.com. As you can guess by the title, this article is about the infamous, very prestigous Nobel Prizes, particulary the science awards. The three winners were all from the U.S., two of them undeniably were of Asian descent. Of course, this really has nothing to do with the prize except that it only supports the common belief that Asians are smarter. I cannot disagree. Anyway, if you are a nerd like me, then perhaps you've already seen this article or heard about it while perusing the infinite depths of the Internet or mass media. I found this article quite interesting because we learned about it today in chemistry and I thought other people should know how important the finding of "glow-in-the-dark" proteins are. Yes, they were found in jellyfish which is amazing enough in itself, but they have become one of the most beneficial discoveries to science in the past decades. Why you ask, because these proteins can be introduced into cancer cells and show scientists exactly how these cells move and attack. This I believe is the first step to finding a cure for cancer. However, this article left me pondering a few questions. First of all, how exactly did Mr. Shimomura decide that these proteins could greatly benefit science? Or was it by accident that he discovered this? If anyone, including Shimomura can tell me, do post a comment. Furthermore, they have also been trying to use these proteins to create glowing tatoos. Is that really necessary? Can't they just use glowing ink? And finally, if you comment on only one thing, please let it be this: How much does it suck that if more than one person is chosen for the Nobel Prize, they have to share it? I mean, they have to share the credit. In the medicine field, one doctor was awarded 1/2 the prize while the other two doctors were credited with 1/4 each. Personally, I would want equal recognition for the award. Of course, that may just be my personal selfishness and my need for attention.