Prize Fight

Scientists don't always play nice. Though it's a natural, human desire to receive due credit for one's work and creative expression, those desires are exacerbated when recognition involves money, fame, and glory. Although disputed priority claims and even outright fraud are nothing new in science, the stakes today are higher than ever. Even the summit of scientific awards—the Nobel Prize—can foment unseemly arguments. Meyers (radiology, emeritus, SUNY Stony Brook, Sch. of Medicine; Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs) examines two recent incidents as case studies: the discovery of a new antibiotic, stryptomycin, and the development of medical applications for magnetic resonance imaging. The stories are compelling, albeit at times sad and infuriating, compounded by the sense that—given the personalities, the circumstances, and the importance of the research—fights were inevitable. Meyers concludes with recommendations for mitigating future conflicts.