Sunday, October 07, 2007

Thinking Outside the Box


Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D. was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - the world's highest recognition for contributions to basic and clinical medical research, for work he completed back in 1989. Apparently this delay is common, there is a long list of potential winners, it's a tricky selection process since they do not award prizes to anyone after they've past away.

In an interview Dr. Capecchi describes his comfort zone as the point there science and science fiction intersect. This man spent his days working where few ever dare, risking his career he ignored the practical and broke down barriers making what was supposed to be impossible possible. Without his man who knows when we would have been able to map the human genome.

For me Dr. Capecchi is much more than some guy that won a prize for doing something I really don't understand, he is also a Ute. And winning such a prize as a Ute actually made me proud of whom I was. It also charged me with an energy and motivation to chase my dreams and look for ways to add my own luster. I'm not saying I'm setting out to win a Nobel Prize, but in this age of school shootings, genocide, and Paris Hilton, it's nice to learn something worth feeling good about. For that Dr. Capecchi, I thank you.

Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask.

1 comment:

Bill Tanna Ava Fox said...

I couldn't agree more about the pride being a "Ute"! I loved reading the articles about him and his life....great tribute! Hope your doing well!