Participants By Last Name
 A-I | J-N | O-Z

Rafael Jaramillo (University of Chicago)

The meeting’s largest benefit to me will come from learning to have confidence in my own self and knowledge of my own limitations. Many of the laureates were at some time studying something that was not considered widely interesting, yet they persisted, many at peril to their careers and self-esteem. They had the courage to work at their own pace and on their own ideas. These are very difficult things to accomplish, especially in our increasingly competitive and fast-paced research community. The value came from learning the sociological (to borrow from Townes' title) and psychological details of great scientific achievements. Much of science happens by chance. That is, advances are only made with the coincidence of certain people, places, and problems.

back to top

I attended informal discussions focused primarily on nuclear physics and fundamental chemistry topics such as neutrino detection, the development of NMR, the chemistry of carbon, and light emitting polymers. Perhaps the greatest benefit of these lectures was learning of the possibilities of revolutionary science. To stand at the brink of a revolution involving energy generation and bio-molecular detection based on light emitting polymers contributed to my more fundamental impression of inspiration. 

back to top

Sara Jensen (University of Florida)

My best opportunity to talk with a Laureate was at lunch when I sat next to Charles Townes.  He was very humble, kind man who seemed to care about what our research interests were and to enjoy talking with students.  The international students that I had the most contact with were from Malaysia, Pakistan, Australia and Russia.  It was very valuable to be able to talk with students from different disciplines, which doesn’t happen often enough at the university setting.  I was able to get new ideas and perspectives that can be applied to my research.

back to top

Louis Jisonna (Argonne National Laboratory)

The most entertaining of the plenary lectures was Sir Harold Kroto’s “2010: A Nanospace Odyssey”.  It was good to have an upbeat and somewhat comical presentation.  I also enjoyed Ricardo Giacconi’s lecture, in which he stated that “ideas are the currency of the 21^st century.” Also of particular use, was Manfred Eigen’s lecture “What is life – Now?” which was a very nice general overview of the current state of evolution.  Personally, I found some of the talks from the other disciplines more enlightening, since I have little or no background in those fields (Biology/Medicine and Chemistry).  Christian de Duve’s talk on evolution was quite good.

back to top

I enjoyed hearing the processes that the Laureates went through to get where they are.  It gives me motivation to keep working hard.  It was also great to here how interested the Laureates were in the students’ research projects.  I was able to talk about what I’m working on with several Laureates, and their reactions and comments were very encouraging to me.  I enjoyed the all panel discussions, especially the on energy and global warming because it was the relevant to my own research.  I really enjoyed most of the lectures on this day.  I also felt like I gained a lot of insight into the social responsibility of scientists from many or the lectures and the panels.  It was very interesting to hear about and discuss what roles and responsibilities we as scientists have in society.  This could include helping to make policies, education the public, etc. 

back to top

This group of American students seemed particularly social and it was much fun to make so many new friends in such a short amount of time. Also, it is simply inspiring to see so many of the Laureates in their 90's still pursuing science, still answering new questions and educating graduate students in particular John Fenn and Charles Townes; two laureates I had the opportunity to share a meal with. I want a career that will challenge my creative skills and intellect and that is enjoyable as a life's pursuit. By their example, I believe I am headed in the right direction.  What more can be said besides there is no other conference like this in science. I feel lucky and honored to have taken part in this experience

back to top

Mark Kaucher (University of Maryland, College Park)

I enjoyed talks such as Kroto's and Agre's talks because they did a good job of not only explaining their research simply and elegantly but they also put it in a context of how it was important. Not only did the great talks encompass ease of understanding but they also embodied insights on how they came to their discoveries as well as how they are using their position to help better society.  Out of the discussions I attended, I found MacDiarmid's to be the most insightful. He tackled issues such as global warming to alternative energies. He also explained his reasons for going about the questions he wanted answered, which led to some great talks and debates.  The experience in general was amazing both on a personal and professional level.

back to top

James Lamb (University of California, Santa Barbara)

After attending the Lindau meeting I decided to change the focus of my graduate studies.  I'm still a graduate student in high-energy physics, but instead of focusing on Tevatron data analysis, I'm focusing on detector development and I'm moving into medical instrumentation.  I was inspired to do this by the Lindau meeting in two ways.  I had several good discussions with other students about medicine and medical instrumentation.  In particular I remember a discussion I had with a Czech medical student who is identifying nodules of damage the brains of patients with head injuries.  I became convinced that this is a field I find exciting and I can make a contribution to. I had been considering this career change before I went to Lindau, but it was not cemented until the meeting. I was inspired because essentially all the Laureates said that students should follow their intellectual passions and do what they really love to do rather than follow the established academic track. The three most interesting lectures, in my mind, were the ones by Richard Roberts, Alan Heeger, and Harold Kroto.

I got a lot of well-needed experience in asking people questions about their research, and explaining my own.  I think this was really important for the purpose of being able to talk about the work in such a way that the amount of information shared between two people is maximized.  Let me emphasize again, I regard that experience as a crucial part of my personal development as a scientist.

back to top

Carly Levin (Rice University)

The emphasis on changing the face of science to be the face of America stood out and had a significant impact on me.  I was taught that aspiring to win the Nobel Prize is not an unreachable goal for individuals and that hard work and dedication are important factors for successful scientific careers.  Also, I learned how important it is to keep an open mind and be willing to explore other are4as, such as art and history, as they can play important roles in science.

back to top

I came back from the trip with a renewed excitement for my work. It was most beneficial to hear about the Laureates lives and how they obtained their scientific successes while for the most part remaining very humble. It was refreshing to see that these great minds resided in real people who care not only about their own work, but also about their families and the scientific community as a whole. As my scientific career progresses and I run into difficulty, I will always remember my week in Lindau and remember the stories told by the Nobel Laureates about their difficult days and how they overcame them to achieve the highest scientific success. 

back to top

The lecture I enjoyed the most was by Charles Townes on his work leading up to the discovery of the MASER. I work on maser theory and use the book written by him on a daily basis therefore it was great privilege to meet the man who invented the MASER theory.

It was insightful to hear that the road to discovery was not without hindrance, that the laureates had to struggle with their colleagues and university authorities in order to get funding and support for their work. I learned from their stories that one must not discouraged by opposition and must work hard in the face of opposition ... it is the way discoveries are made. The experience of interacting with the laureates as well as with international students was phenomenal.

It was a great experience!

back to top

back to top

The experience with meeting the Nobel Laureates in this setting will remain with me for a lifetime. In the multidisciplinary setting I was able to hear of some of the major advances in other fields that I did not follow before and now I might try to follow up on. Meeting with Nobel Laureates in my own particular subfield was very valuable in terms of the lessons I took away in picking the right projects. After having met the Laureates in my field in this setting, it will allow for future conversations about a mutual experience when I see them again in other settings in the not too distant future. Meeting the international students was of course nearly as valuable as the laureates.

back to top

The Lindau Meeting was certainly very motivational. Research can be an overwhelmingly singular activity, where is easy to lose track of research efforts outside of my area of focus. It was inspiring to not only hear of current research directions and results, but questions that remain unanswered in high-energy and cosmological physics. It is this wonder at the world in which we live that motivates us to discovery. This experience has motivated me to pursue further studies in high-energy physics.

back to top

One of the most unified messages that the Laureates gave was that you should follow your curiosity and pursue scientific problems that are important to you. This will certainly encourage me as I embark on an independent research career in the future. Also, the laureates stressed community outreach and education, and I plan to be more involved in building bridges between science and technology experts and the public.

back to top

By far the most valuable lecture I attended was the lecture by Robert Richardson entitled, "Examples of some Multi-disciplinary Research". He spoke of 'science on the fringes' of well-established areas that were inspiring for me. To see the kind of huge research projects that can happen at universities when multiple fields come together inspired me to pursue a post-doctoral position at a university where this type of science occurs.  The discussion "Energy Shortfall and Global Warming" was the most enlightening one I attended. It was very fascinating to see the views of David Gross versus Sir Kroto. It was somewhat shocking to see such a stark contrast among equally qualified scientists. I think this was a valuable experience to see the diversity among laureates and that they were perhaps just ordinary (really, really smart) Joes.  I think I gained new friends from all fields of science from all over the US.  I think before the meeting most U.S. students didn't know what it was going to be like, but on the last day we all felt honored to have been there.

back to top

Meeting with the Laureates has really expanded my outlook on what a scientific career is and what it can be. I expect my work in the future to reflect the kind of dynamic, multi-disciplined, enthusiastic characteristics that I was exposed to at the Lindau meeting. My scientific career will certainly be improved by incorporating what I learned in the meetings. 

back to top

As far as meeting the Laureates, my most memorable conversations were with Norman Ramsey and David Gross. David Gross gave me some good advice about sacrifices that come with being a well-known scientist. Norman Ramsey talked with me about the old days of NMR and how his boss Isaac Rabi helped start and develop the National Laboratory at Brookhaven. In general, all the Laureates were very friendly and eager to talk to us. At the end of the week, it seemed ridiculous that so many people were worshiping them earlier on because we realized that they're just people like us.

back to top
 

DOE Office of Science | National Science Foundation | ORISE Educational Opportunities
ORISE Home Page | ORAU Home Page

Questions and comments on this site? Send an e-mail
10/21/2005