Nobel Prizes This Year Offer Three Cheers for Slow Science

The 2022 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry have recognized groundbreaking discoveries that have their origins in long-term, fundamental research. This year's awards highlight the importance of "slow science," where scientists patiently pursue basic questions without immediate practical applications. The Physiology or Medicine prize honored the discoveries of two scientists who unraveled the complex mechanisms of how human cells sense and respond to oxygen availability, a critical process for tissue health and disease. The Physics prize recognized the work of three researchers who laid the theoretical foundations for quantum information science, a field with immense potential for future technologies. The Chemistry prize celebrated the development of a new method for building molecules, which has broad applications in drug discovery and material science. These awards underscore the value of curiosity-driven research, where scientists are given the time and resources to explore fundamental questions, often without a clear view of the practical implications. This approach can lead to transformative breakthroughs that benefit humanity in ways that cannot be easily predicted.