Kelly Quesnelle: I came to Lindau as many students nearing the end of their doctoral studies: somewhat disillusioned by the tenacious nature of academic science that I have come to realize in graduate school and in search of inspiration for my future. 

I was looking for a motivational “shot-in-the-arm” that I was sure the Nobel Laureates would provide. I expected interactions with those who had “won” in science would rekindle desire to stay in the fight so that perhaps some day I, too, could win a prize. Much like any scientific venture, I came in expecting one thing and have been pleasantly delighted by a journey that has taken me in an entirely different direction. 

A common statement throughout the meeting, and one best articulated quantitatively by Dr. Ei-ichi Negishi, is that the odds of winning a Nobel Prize are small, approximately one in ten million, to be exact. To some this may be discouraging. Yet today I find myself more excited about my pursuit of science than ever before because of my experience at the Lindau Meeting. Hearing the stories of how scientists discovered telomeres, the ribosome, ubiquitination, and intracellular communication was educational, but hearing these stories first hand and reliving the excitement of these renowned scholars has been inspirational. 

As the Nobel Laureates have told us their stories they all expressed the same sentiment—you must ask questions that you find interesting, because you have no way of understanding their future impact in the present time.

Winning the Nobel Prize is to some extent a matter of luck, and the true prize in science is quite simply the luxury of spending your days answering questions that you find intriguing. 

This freedom in academic science does come with the costs of funding concerns and public skepticism, but it is also what makes science unique as a discipline. It is a freedom to be enjoyed and handled responsibly by those whose minds are prepared and willing.  

Dr. Thomas Steitz was showing us a video of the crystal structures determining peptide bond synthesis this morning, and he described the animations in between structures as “a little bit of Walt Disney”. Indeed, that is how I have felt this week. Spending a week discussing both the grand and minute questions of science has reminded me of my favorite ride at Epcot Center in Disney World when I was a kid: Journey Into Imagination. 

There, a scientist and a lovable dragon named Figment help kids understand that anything is possible with their five senses and a little imagination. The Nobel Laureates have been my tour guide on the ride this week. Dr. Oliver Smithies took us through his laboratory notebook page by page describing the discovery of gel electrophoresis and the application of homologous recombination.  He ended his talk by saying the thing that makes science so exciting is that we do not know what is on the next page.  Indeed, I can only imagine.  And that is the prize that this week has reminded me I have already won because I am a scientist.

Kelly Quesnelle, Attendee of this year's Meeting is Graduate Student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine at the Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology in Pittsburgh