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The Inauspicious Beginnings of Major Scientific Breakthroughs

If you’ve ever watched an old cartoon or read the funny papers, you’re likely familiar with the the-lightbulb-going-off-over-the-head trope used to convey major “aha” moments for characters. In these situations, good ideas are, literally, electrifying. In real life, however, most discovery is not nearly as obvious. Not only that, but brilliant breakthroughs aren’t always immediately identified as such. Sometimes they -- and their inventors -- even end up wallowing away in obscurity or become subject to mockery before their true potential is realized.

Oct 10, 2016
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The Inauspicious Beginnings of Major Scientific Breakthroughs

If you’ve ever watched an old cartoon or read the funny papers, you’re likely familiar with the the-lightbulb-going-off-over-the-head trope used to convey major “aha” moments for characters. In these situations, good ideas are, literally, electrifying. In real life, however, most discovery is not nearly as obvious. Not only that, but brilliant breakthroughs aren’t always immediately identified as such. Sometimes they -- and their inventors -- even end up wallowing away in obscurity or become subject to mockery before their true potential is realized.

Let’s take a closer look at one particular award designed to recognize unlikely or underestimated innovation, along with highlighting several examples of discoveries which debuted to meager fanfare but went on change the world.

Credit: goldengooseaward.org

Introducing the Golden Goose Award

Federal research funding is often the target of criticism and ridicule with accusations related to wastefulness and a bloated system. At one point in time, in fact, Senator William Proxmire bestowed monthly ‘Golden Fleece Awards” on projects deemed to have meager potential despite claiming massive research dollars.

While it’s hard to argue that government spending isn't at times excessive, it’s also been argued that singling out “odd or obscure” science reflects a “fundamental misunderstanding of how science works, and how such research can turn out to be extremely important regardless of whether it makes sense to non-scientists.” Failure to take the chance on research, meanwhile, will inherently squelch progress. (We’ll take a decidedly non-scientific approach in quoting Wayne Gretzky here: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”)

Enter the Golden Goose Award. First envisioned by Representative Jim Cooper of Tennessee and later brought to life by a coalition of leading university and scientific organizations, the award recognizes “the tremendous human and economic benefits of federally funded research by highlighting examples of seemingly obscure studies that have led to major breakthroughs and resulted in significant societal impact.”

Since it first debuted in 2012, the Golden Goose Award has identified and acknowledged unlikely research that led to major breakthroughs in key fields like biomedical research, computing and communication technologies, and medical breakthroughs related to everything from national security to public health. It’s also gained ample bipartisan support with officials from both parties agreeing on the tremendous value federal funding on scientific research.

Thomas Seeley, professor of neurobiology and behavior (NBB), working with honey bees.

And the Winner Is…

This year’s Golden Goose winner? The joint work of a Cornell University bee expert Thomas Seeley, four Georgia Institute of Technology engineers and one data scientist, whose collective work led to new understanding of how the process through which honeybee colonies optimally organize themselves while foraging for nectar could inform the development of an algorithm ultimately used to streamline internet services

Seeley’s research could hardly be described as new. It began all the way back in 1980 with funding from the National Science Foundation. That it would more than 35 years later be applicable to server hosting -- now a $50 billion industry -- could not have been foreseen.

Previous Golden Goose winners have included the “Marshmallow Test,” which vastly enriched our understanding of human behavior; research linking rat massage with premature baby health; and a study which determined that gila monster venom could be used in the development of diabetes medication. (Go here to read more Golden Goose Award stories or to watch a short documentary on the Golden Goose Award.)

Unrecognizable older man doctor examines x-ray image of lungs in a hospital

Beyond the Golden Goose

While the Golden Goose Award has only been around for three years, unlikely innovation has going on for generations. Some other examples of research “mistakes” that went onto to become game-changers include the pacemaker, X-ray technology and radioactivity.

Even the discovery of the Big Bang was a mistake, as it turns out. Two radio astronomers attempting to measure the sky’s brightness merely happened upon it. That research may have been accidental, but it also revised our understanding of how the world was formed.

The truth is that no major scientific breakthrough starts out as a major scientific breakthrough. Like superheroes, they all have their own “origin stories,” and some are less likely than others.

But even superheroes can’t ultimately take all of the credit for their world-saving efforts. Like scientists and researchers, they often needed help -- and deep pockets -- to realize and reach their full potential. For scientists, meanwhile, the Golden Goose Award is an invaluable and sustaining show of support for the worth of their work -- not just in the concrete here and now, but for its unknowable possibilities, as well.

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Joanna Hughes

Author

Joanna worked in higher education administration for many years at a leading research institution before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful White Mountains region of New Hampshire with her family.

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