One of the first things Martin Chalfie wanted to do after learning that he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States. That brings the total number of Nobel Prize winners in science endorsing Obama to 63. Originally 61 winners came out and endorsed Obama, but soon after the release of the letter, Murray Gell-Mann, who won the Prize in Physics in 1969 came forward to add his name.
Chalfie won the prize for his early work on using green fluorescent protein to mark cells. This is by far the largest number of Nobelists to ever endorse a candidate for President. I do not know of any Nobelists in science that have endorsed McCain, so if anyone hears of one, please let me know.
I wonder whether this years other recipients Roger Tsien of UCSD and Osamu Shimomura of Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory will also come out to endorse Senator Obama for President. You can read the updated Nobel endorsement letter HERE.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
[...] Pretty cool. One of the first things Martin Chalfie wanted to do after learning that he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States. That brings the total number of Nobel Prize winners in science endorsing Obama to 63. Originally 61 winners came out and endorsed Obama, but soon after the release of the letter, Murray Gell-Mann, who won the Prize in Physics in 1969 came forward to add his name. [...]
October 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Congratulations to Prof. Chalfie both for his Nobel Prize & for his support of Sen. Obama. Your site is linked on RealityChex.com. No doubt your readers are much smarter than I, but they might enjoy the links to other smart folks.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
[...] makes the total number of Nobel Laureates who signed the Letter of Endorsement for Obama, which SEA claims raises the total number of Laureates publicly for Obama to 63, which they claim is the highest for [...]
October 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Congratulations to Dr. Chalfie! I am only a worker-bee bench tech, but his work has affected mine, and I appreciate him every day. His Nobel is richly deserved!
October 8th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Really, who give a “crap” who anyone a celebrity, someone who just received their 15 minutes of fame or Tony Roma endorses for President. What matters is what “YOU” think. How you come to your conclusions, not by the influence of someone else. That’s the issue with American voters, the press thinks you are all like sheep, ready to be lead to the slaughterhouse…just get in line we (the press) will tell you what we (the press) think you should know, think and feel. If you don’t step in line with us then there is something wrong with you. Wake up America…..use your MIND, not the garbage you are feed on the internet, the TV, the radio or heaven forbid PRINT media. Have we forgotten how to use our “critical thinking” skills????
October 8th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Yikes. That was pretty angry for someone who doesn’t give a “crap.”
October 9th, 2008 at 4:11 am
63 Nobel Laureates for Obama and how many for McCain? Probably none but hey, they may get 63 toothless hockey players to endorse McPalin. What matters to Republicans in these bad economic times is not brains but the willingness to knock some teeth. Good luck, McLosers!
October 9th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Cece Ann,
You bring up a good point. Choosing to vote for someone because a celebrity endorses him is absurd. It shows a lack of judgment. Taking into account the opinions of leading minds, that shows good judgment. That’s why it’s so important that military and science experts have overwhelming favored Obama.
Now, I am not in anyway suggesting that the opinions of a Nobel laureate or a field-tested general should replace my judgment as a voter. But they are an important part of the evidence I weigh. The opinions of Kelsey Grammar? Not so much.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:29 am
I’m a big Obama supporter and I would love to post this info on my office door but, as a scientist, it would look pretty bad. Come-on, folks. We can’t tout this as meritorious without knowing more of the story. How many Nobelists support other candidates (I can’t imagine that it’s many, but we need this information if the number 63 is to have any meaning). As soon as a more complete argument can be made, I will be among the first to post it for all to see.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Greg, The answer is zero. There has not been a single Nobel Laureate scientist to endorse McCain or Nader for President. The highest previous number of endorsements for a Presidential candidate was 47 for Kerry. So, feel free to post it on your door.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:46 am
SWEET!
October 9th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
CeCe Ann,
That 63 Nobel prize winners in science have endorsed Obama is also important because it is indicative of which candidate the leaders in that field believe will be more supportive of their efforts. I, for one, belive science is important (and often times synonymous) to the advancement of our country. Your views of the world are backwards, ignorant and undeserving of a public forum and you should know that.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
[...] Note that Obama’s goals for reducing GHG are far more ambitious than McCain’s. 2008 Chemistry Nobelist Endorses Obama bringing the number to 63! One of the first things Martin Chalfie wanted to do after learning that he won the Nobel Prize in [...]
October 10th, 2008 at 10:01 am
[...] this to the 63 Nobelists who have now endorsed Obama. The McCain campaign has really missed an opportunity here and really [...]