| Use the following links to
read comments from this year's participants about their experiences at
Lindau 2006. Participants By Last
Name
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January Haile |
Erica Johnson |
Raissa Menendez-Delmestre |
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| January Haile (Virginia Tech) | |||
 Meeting
the Nobel Laureates was a once in a lifetime experience that I will
cherish. The conversations we were able to have with the Laureates
provided such an insight into the life of a scientist, and how we all
can contribute the knowledge base in the scientific community. More than
that I enjoyed interacting the Laureates on a personal level, several
scientists were great examples of scientists taking their research and
award to the public in order to increase scientific awareness. It was
great to have the opportunity to discuss more than science with the
Laureates; they provided a new perspective on various issues from
education our children to global warming. It is difficult to predict the
impact attending the conference will have on my future career as a
scientist and educator; however, I do know that it has already made me a
better scientist as well as a global citizen.The lectures were an excellent introduction to the Nobel Laureate and his scientific endeavors. Of particular interest were Dr. Schrock’s and Dr. Ciechanover’s lectures. They provided an insight into their thought process as well as a look at the future in their specific fields. The informal discussions with the Nobel Laureates provide a comfortable forum for students to interact with the Laureates. Dr. Agre’s discussion was a very unique opportunity, as there were less than 50 students in the room. We were able to just talk informally about science and his personal experiences. Many of the topics also engaged other students enabling us to learn from each other as well as Dr. Agre. Meeting people on both a professional and personal level will have a tremendous impact on my career as a scientist. The conference has opened many doors for collaboration and learning from a variety of paths, be it with students from the U.S. delegation or international students. It was a unique opportunity to be able to discuss science with such a diverse group of students. It was certainly a privilege to be able to attend the conference. I believe it will impact my scientific career and my life for many years to come. Meeting the Nobel Laureates and my colleagues from around the globe offered a springboard for future friendships and collaborations.
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| Ian Harwood (University of California, San Francisco) | |||
 Of
the topics presented at the orientation I felt that the history of the
Lindau meeting and the missions of the sponsoring agencies were the most
useful preparation for the meeting. The introduction to the meeting gave
me a better sense of its purpose and what I could expect of the meeting
and to take away from it. This also made me more comfortable speaking
with the laureates at the meeting as I knew the reasons for their
voluntary attendance. As with meeting the laureates and students from
other countries, the background introduction on the US sponsoring
departments presented me with a much broader scope of the types of
scientific research being pursued and, more importantly, the importance
of these activities. In addition to the formal activities, the time
spent meeting with other US students helped form a cohesive team that I
feel well represented the US and, internally, formed both social and
scientific connections that will long-lasting personal impacts.
Hearing from and speaking with many laureates, I feel that the ideas that will continue to motivate and inspire me throughout my career are that extraordinary things can come from ordinary people and that scientific research, my research, can impact the world. As I have personally experienced in my work, it’s easy to forget about “the big picture” when frustrated with the little details and that research on all topics imaginable is being conducted, both in the building next door and on the other side of the planet. This experience has opened my eyes to the nature of the global scientific community and the importance science has in our world. Not only did the laureates present their and science’s “success stories” but also commented on what still needs to be done, both technically and in global scientific policy and understanding: it is this guidance that I feel will most shape my future directions in the greater community. As I had hoped to gain, the interactions I had beyond my university and lab have changed the way I see and value science in a way that now incorporates a more global view with meaningful potential impact for all societies. I attended all of the lectures and was most moved by Professor Sherwood Rowland. Of all the laureates in attendance I feel that his work had the most global impact, that of saving civilization from itself. As a biologist I question if I would have become familiar with the content of his work otherwise. However, his message that resonated most with me as a scientist and contributor to society was that one’s work could have such immense impacts and that, even as science may seem beneficial here and now, we must always consider the longer-term impacts of our work. Of the speakers, I enjoyed my times with Professor Peter Agre and Professor Aaron Ciechanover. First, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Agre in a group of about ten students, making it a very small and intimate discussion. Having worked on the same proteins he was awarded his prize for, I was delighted to “talk shop” with a laureate. Yet what is most memorable is his down-to-earth everyday personality and how his inquisitiveness and questioning spirit took him on a path which wasn’t end-goal driven: especially today’s scientific environment, which demands ever-more for desired results and “getting things to work,” I found such an attitude refreshing and an example of science at its purest, a curiosity to understand the world we live in. Unlike in the small and personal conversation with Dr. Agre, Dr. Ciechanover spoke more to the global nature of science and the issues facing it’s progress today, namely the lack of scientific understanding by the general public due to the poor communication of science. I know that I will remain in contact with many individuals I met from the US delegation both in personal and scientific capacities. With one or two of the students I have discussed about future collaboration possibilities. I again found it rewarding to interact with a diverse body of young researches conducting work outside my field and believe this perspective and network will facility my continued work. Additionally, I know my perception on how science is practiced and thought about by various cultures has reshaped how I envision science and people around the world. This experience is undoubtedly one that has and will continually influence my science. The interactions with other students, from the US and other countries, and with the laureates have shaped my views of science, both in the work I do and of science on the grander global scale.
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| Joel Henzie (Northwestern University) | |||
 The
diversity of topics in the formal lectures were certainly helpful in
learning about the big ideas in different fields. I was also hugely
impressed with the physics laureates and am reading through the papers
on the frequency comb. It's too early to tell, but this may lead to a
post-doc in this topic.I attended all lectures and found the talks by Hansch and Hall to be the most interesting. This is because I am interested in lasers and their use in my research. I was impressed with the way many of the laureates introduced crisp visual examples of the more complex ideas in their research. This way we don't have to go through life not understanding exactly how mode-locked pulsed lasers work...or what four wave mixing is...or how fast-Fourier transform is used with NMR! The discussion with John Hall was my favorite. He has a vibrant mind in the things I'm interested in and has a clear idea of how competing scientists should treat one another. I made a lot of friends with the international students and learned about many different research opportunities that I probably never would have heard about. Maybe this sounds very silly, but over the course of the conference I got the impression that the attending students were just as brilliant as the attending Nobel Laureates--just less experienced in the art of doing science. I am confident for the future.
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| Karina Heredia (UCLA) | |||
 I
gained a lot of insight as to how my career can impact the global
community and I was introduced to concepts such as those that were very
enlightening. I think after talking with the laureates I have become
more open minded about the different paths that I can potentially follow
after finishing my graduate education.
Three of the laureates had the greatest impact on me: Professor Ciechanover, Professor Agre, and Professor Kohn. I enjoyed Prof. Ciechanover and Prof. Agre's topic discussions on the ubiquitin pathway and aquaporin, respectively. The subject matter was not directly related to my work, however it was very interesting to hear their work many of the things they discovered had learned about in the past. Professor Kohn's video on the power of the sun was very interesting and I was very impressed to see how much work had gone into making the video and also how much work and effort he has placed in educating the general public about alternate energy forms. The discussions with Professor Ciechanover and Professor Schrock had the most value to me. During the discussions with Professor Noyori I gained insight on chemical synthesis that relates to my own chemistry. In the discussion with Prof. Ciechanover I gained insight as to how I should think of my graduate experience and how I should enjoy it and interact with as many students from other disciplines as possible in order to maximize my graduate studies. I made friends with many American and international students. The meeting provided the stage for me to discuss with other students their research and how our different projects interconnect. The Nobel Laureates were very easy to talk to and seemed to genuinely care about our science as graduate students. The students attending the conference were also very friendly and willing to discuss openly about their graduate experience and research.
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| Stephen Huffaker (NIH/University of Cambridge) | |||
 It was incredible to see that those at the top of the game are truly
genuine, goodhearted people. It may seem like a trivial realization but
in the face of some of the experiences one goes through during their PhD
research it is EXTREMELY important to see that it is possible for good
people (moral, ethical, altruistic) to make it.The lecture that perhaps had the most impact to me was the one by Dr. Hoffmann. I think that this was also a very important lecture for many other students as well because Prof. Hoffmann's talk was not necessarily on his research and the importance/interest of it, but on his interests on social problems around the world. It was extremely moving to hear a laureate step outside of the spotlight of their work and focus on the problems we face as a society and the hurdles we, particularly as scientists in our white tower laboratories, would like to ignore. For this same reason I very much enjoyed the lecture/video by Dr. Kohn and again the focus on the issues as a world community we cannot ignore. These lectures exemplified to me the major effect of the entire conference; each Laureate caring about issues larger than themselves, their research, and their countries. In attending the smaller group sessions I was surprised by how quiet and mild mannered Prof. Neher and Sir John Walker both were, shattering my expectations that they might be inflated by the enormity of their accomplishments. Though much of this was based on the overlap between their work (molecular bio and biochem) and mine but also because they were very approachable, knowledgeable, and modest. At one point in the session with Dr. Walker, one student asked "What do you feel made you a Nobel Laureate?" Dr. Walker very promptly and quietly replied something to the effect of: anyone could have won the award, and maybe even should have. There is a large part of being in the right place at the right time, any laureate will tell you. This was another quality that I very much enjoyed about all of the laureates, that in any of their talks, in private conversation, they constantly referred to who had helped them, who had been in the trenches with them. I don't remember any one of them saying the word "I". I think this was by and large the greatest reason for students to attend this, that it demonstrates the necessity for teamwork in science.
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| Erica Johnson (Morehouse School of Medicine) | |||
 The orientation session in Washington, D.C. was very helpful in
preparing me for the trip to Lindau. The overview of the culture in
Lindau gave me a clear and accurate understanding of what to expect once
I arrived. The overview of each of the sponsors, such as NIH, DOE, ORAU
and NSF were the most helpful. I arrived with minimal understanding of
the organizations, but after the sessions, I was able to articulate very
well the purpose and function of each to the interested Nobel Laureates
and students at the meeting. I feel that the Orientation was a key to my
success at the Lindau Meeting. I think it was a great idea for the US
Delegation to travel to Europe in a group, because it gave us a chance
to bond, not only with the students, but also with the representatives
of NIH, DOE, ORAU and etc. By the time I reached Lindau, I had already
had the opportunity to talk with almost everyone in our group.Meeting the Nobel Laureates for me was like an aspiring actress meeting the Oscar Winners. It is my career goal to do research the is worthy of a Nobel prize in the future. Being at this meeting made my dream seem so much more tangible. Speaking with the Nobel Prize winners will be very beneficial to my future scientific career. They gave me great advice on my current research, as well as helpful suggestions for when I earn my Ph.D. and start on my career. I attended all the lectures, but the lecture that had the most value for me was Dr. Peter Agre's on Aquaporins. I had read about his research before attending the meeting, so I was very excited about his talk. This is a field that I am very interested in and it is possible area of research that I would like to enter after I complete my Ph.D. Studies. I tried to stop by each of the discussions to speak informally with the Nobel Laureates. The discussion I gained the most insight was the Global Warming Discussion. This is an area of research that I had not given much thought prior to this meeting. This discussion brought to my attention many issues with Global Energy that I had never considered. Now I am an advocate for solar energy and other alternative forms of energy. I, of course, made many new friendships and colleagues within the US Delegation. We were all in a unique situation, with similar interest, so naturally, we became close. The international students were great, also. They were very helpful in broadening my view of Ph.D. programs and research overseas, as well as their way of life. Since returning, I have been in contact with several international students I meet at the meeting. I definitely was introduced to many new opportunities for research and collaboration. I met a student that was doing similar research to mine, and we were able to compare methods and ideas, which has already proven to be extremely helpful. Overall, the trip to Lindau exceeded my expectations. I expected to hear the Nobel Laureates discuss their research, but I had no idea I would have so many opportunities to network informally with them. I was able to discuss their research, along with mine, and I was able to hear about their lives prior and after winning the Nobel Prize. The experience was excellent.
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Grant Johnson (Pennsylvania State University) |
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| Jeremiah Johnson (Columbia University) | |||
 One thing that affected me was realizing how excellent science is taking
place all over the world, and not just in the U.S. Seeing that
many/most of the laureates are from Europe inspired me to perhaps do a postdoc
somewhere in Europe.I enjoyed Glauber’s lecture the best. I've read Feynmann's books where he talks about hanging out with Glauber discussing QED and it was amazing to get to see him talk. I enjoyed Hoffman’s small discussion session with his interesting ideas about the role of science in the world. It was an awesome experience. Amazing and life changing.
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| Eugene Kamarchik (University of Chicago) | |||
 The orientation in Washington, D.C. was
useful both as preparation for the trip to Lindau as well as an
introduction to a number of government agencies. Learning about the
specific objectives and types of research funded by the NSF, DOE, and
NIH helped me to answer questions about the research opportunities
available here and should be personally useful in helping to target my
future work. Meeting the other American students in Washington prior to
traveling to Europe was a good opportunity to get to know them before
the busy schedule in Lindau.During the lectures and discussions the Nobel Laureates raised a variety of interesting topics from numerous areas of chemistry, biology, and physics. This interdisciplinary aspect helped to raise my awareness of other related fields and also to focus my attention on some of the more challenging issues that research must deal with. Finding these connections between fields and becoming more aware of the global nature of certain issues should help stimulate my creativity. While all of the lectures were interesting, there were a few that were particularly fascinating for me. The lectures by Prof. Haensch and Prof. Glauber were particularly valuable in that they dealt with topics which are closely related to my work. Each of them provided some unique insights into understanding their respective fields and gave me some new ways to think about basic physical principles. The informal discussions gave me the opportunity to learn about how the Laureates had directed their own research, how they had selected a topic of interest, and what they thought the opportunities of the future were. Of particular interest was the discussion with Prof. Glauber who discussed his career as a scientist and also some interesting theoretical results about coherent bosonic and fermionic systems. The meeting offered significant opportunities to meet American and international students and to discuss specific research ideas and projects with them. Several topics were discussed which raised the possibility of future collaboration. Overall the trip was extremely useful both from a personal and a professional standpoint. Professionally, I gained significant insight into a variety of important topics: the interdisciplinary aspects of modern research, the agendas and interests of a number of U.S. government agencies, how one selects and conducts relevant research, and some interesting new perspectives on my own work. The opportunity to meet with so many great researchers was a truly unique experience. Personally, the trip to Germany was enjoyable as were the friendships I developed with a number of American and international students. With these friendships also comes the opportunity for future collaboration as many of these students were performing interesting research.
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Julia Keller (University of Florida) |
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I believe that of all of the lectures, Roald Hoffmann's lecture on Ethics in Science had the most impact on me. Besides his obvious talents in writing and speaking which are executed elegantly, his drive at the huge responsibility we as chemists have in research really hit me. I had never really given thought to research that could cause potential harm to mankind, or research that could push moral boundaries. However, his words spoke to me that even chemistry can have such a huge impact on the world. He brought up that it is not chemists that are born with ethics, but rather ethics that should drive the chemist. That while curiosity is what makes many discoveries, perhaps it is the ultimate fall of mankind whom has a difficult time setting limits. In short, Hoffmann brought more to his talk than just science; he connected the scientist with the rest of the world. Professor Kohn and Professor Curl valued me most.
Professor Kohn discussed how exactly he got to Solar Energy concerns in the government from DFT calculations. Basically, his passion and ethos led him toward another path, one of global energy concern. He showed me that life and career will always have many different available paths, doors waiting to be opened. Prof. Curl gave an interesting discussion session because he talked mainly about his receiving the Noble Prize in Chemistry. He was extremely humble, many times referring to the research as "just getting lucky", and he shared with us his experience receiving the award and how amazing to him it was. Basically, I was very able to connect with him as a person.
I have made many new friends after attending this meeting, both with U.S. and international students. The week long meeting made connecting with others extremely easy and fun. I met a few students who shared common research interests as well. The international travel experience was amazing; I never thought I would have the opportunity to converse with so many people about science. I particularly was very interested in learning how other students schooling was set up, and how much it either differed or was like our own in the U.S. It was great to meet students with the same passions and concerns as my own.
The week was planned very well for the U.S. delegation particularly. We were very fortunate to have many opportunities to eat, talk, and listen to other students and Nobel Laureates. I was also pleased that members of ORAU, DOE, NSF and NIH were able to come to the meeting with us because it was very insightful being able to speak with them about their own careers.
All in all, this entire experience was priceless. To put it in the words of my last professor, he's "jealous". Most chemists NEVER get the opportunity to meet, listen to lectures, and speak with half the number of Laureates that I spoke with this week, let alone student researchers from around the globe. I believe that connections and colleagues are very important in the research community, and this experience has boosted my knowledge of research and the faces behind the research to greater limits. This trip was fantastic.
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| Judy Kim (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) | |||
 The
Washington, D.C. orientation was successful in that it was informative
about the conference and about Germany and the city of Lindau. It was
comforting to better know what was going to happen and also to meet many
of the U.S. delegates before the conference actually began.
My experience with the Nobel Laureates was incredibly inspirational where I was able to see how genuinely the laureates enjoy science and research. Their work was performed, not expecting an award, but simply following their interests. I was able to learn that much hard work and a bit of creativity and luck can take one far in the world of science. As I move further in my career, I hope to always come back to this experience for a bit of inspiration and grounding. After attending just about all of the lectures, I believe that those covering topics of general advice were most valuable to me. Talks given by Dr. Hoffman on ethics and Dr. Lipscomb on curiosity driven research were more applicable to my current status as a graduate student seeking advice. They, along with Drs. Hansch, Hall and Curl, were quite inspirational – just what the struggling graduate student needs. The informal discussions with the Nobel Laureates at the lunch and dinner settings were very exciting and pleasant. I attended the dinner/dance reception, the dinner (organized by the Americans), and also the lunch. The functions were all well-organized, enjoyable events. It was great to hear the informal stories about their experiences in dealing with research, graduate students, and funding sources. I did find that it was also quite interesting to engage in conversation with their wives because they would divulge the details about how much time they actually spend working and just thinking about the science in daily life. It’s impressive. The meeting was an excellent opportunity me to gain inspiration for my research. I enjoyed meeting other students that are also doing quality work in their respective fields because we were able to share about our common struggles and lack of confidence at times. I plan to keep in contact with a few people because their research and geographic location is a close match with mine, but also with others, I genuinely liked them and hope to be able to meet up again. I was also able to learn much about the international students’ graduate and post-doctoral programs which will be useful for future reference when it comes time for me to change positions, and if I am in an advisor role as a professor, I know a bit more about the genuine, informal opinions of the international students and can pass this on to my students. In addition, I was able to learn more about the social cultures and academic cultures of the different nations that were represented. It was a good experience. The stay in Lindau was an excellent experience because it was well-organized, yet we were not treated like junior-high children on a field trip. It was also very excellent to be able to attend the questions sessions. I found it particularly inspirational to attend Dr. Kohn’s question session because he discussed how his research had moved on from the Density Functional Theory and how he was using his fame for a positive influence. It is definitely not his responsibility to take on such tasks to promote clean-energy research to the U.S. government, and I found it amazing that he continues with this. My experiences with the Nobel Laureates exceeded my expectations because they were exceptionally understanding about our eagerness to ask questions. They were incredibly inspirational with their continuing research efforts and encouraging of our personal research. My interaction with the international student peers was quite educational as we were able to expand upon academic and social customs in a relaxed setting. I will use this information for my future interaction with the scientific community as my career continues to evolve.
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| Susan Kloek (University of Washington) | |||
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| Aaron Kushner (UC-Irvine) | |||
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My favorite lectures were that of Ernst and that of Rowland. I was so inspired by the lectures on global warming and the energy crisis that I cut my travels short and returned home to get onto paper a relevant proposal I had been mulling in my head.
I attended the informal discussion sessions
of Noyori, Agre, Hansch, and Hoffman. I liked Hansch’s lecture, because
it was small, so I could ask many questions, and he was extremely honest
and informative about the challenges of doing research at the highest
level. One of the great experiences of my life. The Nobel Laureates were everything you'd expect them to be and more, and I now have 40 friends in 13 different countries. I would not change a thing. Thanks again. |
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| Jean Lee (The Ohio State University) | |||
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The Nobel lectures were all valuable and interesting in different ways, but I particularly enjoyed Prof. Peter Agre's and Prof. Roald Hoffmann's lectures. Not only were their scientific discoveries exciting to learn about, but their lectures also incorporated the human elements of their experiences in their careers and inspiring thoughts on why and how we should take our responsibilities as scientists in our world.
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| Rachel Lynch (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | |||
 Overall,
I think that the orientation in DC was very helpful and informative. I
really enjoyed the time we had to get to know some of the other students
before we left for Lindau. It also made me more comfortable being in a
group as we traveled to Europe. The various government directors did an
excellent job of over viewing their respected offices and directorates.
Although most these talks did not directly pertain to our meeting in
Lindau, it was nonetheless very informative. It was enlightening to hear
what they thought about the current/future focuses of government-funded
research.The trip to Lindau was an amazing experience. There were plenty of opportunities to meet the Nobel laureates, and they all were eager to talk with the graduate students. Through the US-sponsored lunches and dinners, I was able to talk with three laureates at great length. Dr. Marcus explained how one of his students asked a question in class that got him interested in researching a different subject. Dr. Marcus said that this research allowed him to build a foundation of knowledge that he later used in his Nobel-winning work. He said that he mentioned this student’s name in his Nobel award ceremony lecture. Dr. Rowland told us how he was ridiculed when he first published his theories on how CFCs react in the atmosphere. When the hole in the ozone layer was discovered, his work went from ludicrous to brilliant seemly overnight. It was also very interesting to talk with Dr. Crutzen about atmospheric chemistry. These laureates encouraged me and my peers about the significance of scientific research and the importance of perseverance. Another laureate that greatly influenced me was Dr. Arber. He began his career in physics, but he had a broad education in biology and genetics. Dr. Arber emphasized the need for researchers to have “disciplinary excellence and transdisciplinary competence.” In other words, we do need to have a depth of knowledge in our specific area of research, but it is also essential that we have a broad understanding of other fields. Instead of just sitting in one discussion during the entire 2 hours, I usually moved from session to session. I enjoyed Dr. Curl’s session the most. Although he no longer works with nanoparticles, he still keeps up-to-date on the carbon nanotechnologies. During the session, he gave the story of how he and his co-workers discovered buckyballs. It was very humorous; he called it the “one-week Nobel prize” because the entire study happened so quickly. Although it was almost serendipity that they found slight evidence of a stable 60-carbon molecule, it was their scientific curiosity that propelled them to investigate the matter fully. This is a great example of how research can take you into unexpected areas and great scientists don’t ignore unanticipated data. One of the best parts about the Lindau meeting was the opportunity to meet students from all over the US and the world. It was thrilling that we shared a common love for science that crossed geographic and cultural distances. The American sponsors did an excellent job of providing opportunities for social interactions with other delegations. For example, I really enjoyed the dinner on Sunday that we had with students from other countries. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect for getting to know the other students. We were able to discuss our scientific studies as well as the differences in culture and education. The trip to Lindau was an amazing experience. It was remarkable to meet Nobel laureates and other graduate students from around the world. The lectures were diverse and stimulating, and the discussion sessions with the laureates were very interesting. There were plenty of opportunities to meet the Nobel laureates, and they all were eager to talk with the graduate students. Through the US-sponsored lunches and dinners, I was able to talk with three laureates at great length. These lunches/dinners were the highlights of the trip. I really enjoyed getting to know graduate students from the United States and other countries. I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to the meeting of the Nobel laureates in Lindau!
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| Raissa Menendez-Delmestre (University of Puerto Rico) | |||
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Meeting the Nobel Laureates either through their lectures, or the informal discussions I have learned something very important from them. It doesn’t matter what you are studying or in which way you are doing your research, the most important thing is for one to enjoy whatever it is that we are studying. Getting a Nobel prize was not a goal of any of the Nobel Laureates that I talked to, and they had all done their research in something that really interested them.
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| Laura Morris (University of Cincinnati) | |||
 One
thing that stands out is how often they seemed to give at least some
credit for their success to luck or to previous researchers. One
Laureate even showed a paper which, unknown to him at the time, had been
published prior to his and commented that he was very glad the Nobel
committee didn’t read Russian. These are obviously extremely intelligent
and creative researchers but I didn’t get the impression that any of
them every really started their research careers believing they were
scientific geniuses who would win the Nobel prize some day. They got
there with good luck, hard work, by being able to recognize the
importance of an unexpected result, or by being in the right field at a
time when technological advances made new advances possible. As a
student, I think the message is to enjoy the work, do the best
scientific research you can and be open to new interpretations of the
results.
I have been interested in environmental issues for a very long time so I as really looking forward to Professor Rowland’s lecture. Hearing him speak about the science of global warming and also having a conversation with him about the politics of global warming during lunch was a truly unique experience. Like Professor Rowland, most of the laureates appeared to be socially concerned human beings, not just great scientists. I attended several of the discussions during the week. The laureates were very relaxed and willing to try to answer any question put to them. The students were enthusiastic and ready to ask as many questions as time allowed. In addition to some interesting scientific discussions, I truly enjoyed the insight from one laureate that he doesn’t find research at all frustrating but sometimes his graduate students do. As students, we all hope to reach that place in our careers as soon as possible! I was impressed by the other American students that I met and spent all week feeling very lucky to be a part of the group. I expected that the scientific lectures would be terrific and they were, but the more personal aspects of the meeting were really awesome as well. We had the opportunity to talk about research with each other and also with some of the international students. For example, I was fortunate enough to have lunch with the Japanese students where I found myself talking about my research with a student who was working in a related area. After lunch, we took our new Japanese acquaintances to our favorite gelato stand. They remained very friendly with us throughout the rest of the meeting. I came home with contact information for many interesting people who I intend to keep in touch with, including the Japanese student I met at lunch. |
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| Samuel Mugavero (University of South Carolina) | |||
 I
found it helpful to learn more about the historical aspects of the Nobel
Prize and to learn, in advance, about Lindau, Mainau, and what we could
expect at the meeting. The various funding agencies were informative
because as a graduate student, we know the money comes in, but we never
really know where it comes from or how the funding is broken down. It
was also helpful to learn that we can have an impact on the amount of
funding allotted by the government for science if we all voice our
opinions.
Meeting with the Nobel Laureates, especially on a more personal level has left me somewhat amazed. These brilliant scientists are more or less just normal people. Sure, some of them have interesting hobbies outside of science, but all in all they are very similar to all of us. I loved learning about their approaches to problems. Each Nobel Laureate approached chemistry/problems/roadblocks in a different manner and that is something that I learned a lot from. I also really enjoyed dissecting each Laureates' talk to determine how they put it together and how effectively they conveyed their information. Some of the Laureates started out with a picture or cartoon, while other jumped right into the meat of their talk. I think I have gained some insight into preparing my own talks and will be a bit of a hybrid of several of the Laureates' as I prepare talks in the future. This experience will benefit me in a variety of ways, but I think their advice about approaching science from different paths is an invaluable lesson. There are so many ways to approach a problem, but sometimes only one method will work and you have many failures before you achieve one success. The other thing I appreciated was several of the Laureates' acknowledged that sometimes there may not be an answer...yet. I really enjoyed Peter Agre's lecture, but his did not have the most value overall for me. Scientifically, his lecture was one of the best lectures I have ever attended, but I think the two lectures that had the most impact on me as a scientist were Prof. Hoffman's and Prof. Ernst's lectures. The two lectures emphasized the need to have other areas of passion rather than purely science. I think sometimes I get caught up in science and forget about other areas of life. Their lectures were inspirational and made me take a step back and look around at all aspects of my life. I enjoyed Kohn's small group discussion because of his knowledge of energy. Hoffman's interested me the most because he spoke mostly about ethics and excitement. Excitement in science and how it leads to problems with ethics sometimes. I also really enjoyed listening to Rowland answer questions. He was very tactful in his answers, yet extremely informative about the future of our planet. I gained some insight into saving the planet from several of the lectures. I also gained a great deal of insight about the life of a Nobel Laureate. Most of them, especially Noyori seem like they enjoyed all the hype for about a month and then they all seemed to feel like they were spread too thin. The civic responsibilities of Nobel Laureate's seems a bit overwhelming at times and that is something I never considered. I met many great students and people both American and international. My approach to meeting people was to eat my meals with someone different everyday and try to get to know as many people as possible. This included international students, Nobel Laureates and American students. I feel that I made some very good friends both nationally and internationally and have a whole sheet of paper filled with business cards and handwritten contact info. Several interesting collaborative projects were brought to my attention mostly in the field of atmospheric chemistry. I never really saw any correlation between chemistry up there and the solid state chemistry I do down here. Interestingly, some of the science I work on leads to new instrumentation in the atmospheric chemistry world. I hope to one day do a post doctoral fellowship in the field of atmospheric chemistry. Overall, it has been the best experience I have had as a graduate student and young scientist. The coming together of great minds from many different generations of science was incredible and will benefit me throughout the rest of my scientific career. I would encourage any young scientist to peruse a nomination to attend this meeting.
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| Jonathan Mullin (Iowa State University) | |||
 The
laureates provided inspiration and showed a level excellence and
dedication to science that is required to be a world class scientist. It
allowed a very concentrated look at what those who have achieved so much
expect of themselves. Now I truly know what I must expect of myself to
be a world class researcher.With science only as part of the interaction in the informal discussion sessions I was able to see personality and the dedication to science that the laureates brought to their work. Roy Glauber also made me realize the importance of being able to teach people how to be scientists is for the advancement of the field. This meeting allowed me to meet many students from the U.S. and abroad that I hope prove to be fruitful both as a friendships and scientifically. I already have an inbox filling up with emails directly related to discussions and possible collaborations spawned out of conversations in Lindau. Most conferences do not really facilitate the level of interaction with peers as Lindau, which is a shame really. Lindau re-ignited my passion for science when I was reaching a point of burn out in my career. I did not realize how much I would learn by idle chat with my peers. Having conversations with Nobel laureates proved to show me a concentrated outlook on the problems I will face as a scientist in my career. It was unusual to see science turning pop culture right before your eyes and how this change is dealt with by those who undergo it was truly interesting. In the end, the laureates showed a margin of excellence to which one may aspire to, but meeting our peers may help facilitate the ends to excellence in our own research.
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My
experience with the Laureates will benefit my future career by giving me
a greater appreciation of the scope of scientific research being
conducted. I also feel that I now have a better understanding of the
societal impact and importance of science. Lastly, from lectures by
particular Laureates, I was able to gain specific knowledge pertinent to
my own research. I learned a great deal about the practical realities of
atmospheric chemistry and global climate change from the discussions
with Professors s Crutzen and Rowland and feel that I now understand this
subject much better. The discussion section with Professor Hansch was
very informative because he was willing to explain the fundamentals of
the frequency comb technique which I did not understand prior to
attending. I met several American and International students who were
not only competent scientists but also friendly, sociable people. I
would be much more comfortable working in another country because of
this experience. I met several international students who are conducting
theoretical modeling on catalytic systems similar to those that I study
experimentally. The possibility of future collaboration, therefore, is
real. 
Being
able to speak personally with the Laureates on topics ranging from
science to careers, from hobbies to the meaning of life definitely had a
huge impact on my outlook at scientific success in that it seems much
more tangible than I had initially anticipated. They were all very
humble, outgoing, and enthusiastic; they emphasized that more than
anything just work hard at and love any path chosen, but always remember
to have a life outside of work and never let worry get in the way of
your research. Some laureates shared regrets and mistakes with us
students. These things showed me that like myself, they are just people
too! They are fallible, but they don't let that hinder their success and
drive. They showed me that motivation and hard work are most important
because they lead to self-respect, the most rewarding success in any
career. 
The
meeting was a great experience. It was really interesting to meet the
Laureates. They are all very different people, so it was good to realize
that many different approaches and personality types can be successful
in science. Also, there wasn't one set route to success- a variety of
different paths led these scientists to where they are today. 
My
experience will be of incredible benefit to my scientific career. On the
immediate front, I picked up lots of advice that has helped me in my
chemistry on my return. I also made contacts in the Nobel laureate
community, members of which I now feel comfortable contacting for
scientific or philosophical advice. I also established contacts among
the directorate of important American research funding agencies, like
the DOE, NIH, and NSF.
Being
able to participate in the 56th Meeting of the Nobel Prize Winners in
Lindau was an amazing experience for me. Listening to the Nobel Prize
winners' lectures, interacting with them on a personal level, and
meeting other exciting fellow researchers and students from around globe
- were all inspiring for my personal scientific career. This meeting has
not only inspired me scientifically with new ideas from what I've
learned in the lectures and discussions, but it has also given me an
invaluable opportunity to network with other peer researchers and
students from around the world. I feel that these kinds of interactions
open doors for positive working relationships and collaborations in the
future.
Something
that was a little surprising to me was how approachable the Nobel
Laureates were. They would talk to us about their families or their
research at the table, and they didn’t seem to mind sharing this type of
information with us. They did not think more of themselves because they
had received the Nobel prize, but they did consider it an honor.