Credentials

by Kieran Healy on March 25, 2005

Based on a letter I wrote this morning and plan to send this afternoon (once I look up the right address), from now on I’d like to be known as “‘Nobel Prize-nominated”:http://mediamatters.org/items/200503220009 blogger, Kieran Healy.’ I’m up for consideration in Physics. I nominated everyone here at CT as well, except “Montagu”:https://www.crookedtimber.org/author/montagu-norman/ because prizes aren’t awarded posthumously. There aren’t enough categories for us all to win in the same year (even counting “Economics”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize#Prize_categories), but I’m sure everyone’s turn will come.

{ 14 comments }

1

P ONeill 03.25.05 at 9:34 am

To fully mirror the Florida idiocy, your prize nomination must refer to the Nobel Peace prize in discipline X. I think the Schiavo neurologist was nominated for this prize in Medicine.

2

Ted 03.25.05 at 9:36 am

Fantastic. That’ll look great next to my Pulitzer nomination.

3

Joshua W. Burton 03.25.05 at 9:44 am

The “Nobel” prize in Economics suggests an even more promising model. Why not create a Nobel prize in group blogging, nominate yourselves, and actually win that sucker? You could pick some previously untapped Scandinavian country to host the party, perhaps Iceland. I hear it’s quite scenic, and perhaps Bobby Fischer could hand out the checks.

Um, checks. Still thinking that part through. Sorry, carry on.

4

tad brennan 03.25.05 at 10:24 am

Come, Mr. Burton–how much thought does it take?

I hereby present you with a check for one gazillion dollars, drawn on the Bank of Nobelia, Tallahassee Branch.

People who can invent spurious Nobel Prize Nominations should certainly not balk at inventing banks and bank-accounts, and printing their own stationery.

And my check is worth at least as much as his nomination.

5

Kieran Healy 03.25.05 at 10:47 am

_Why not create a Nobel prize in group blogging, nominate yourselves, and actually win that sucker?_

Good idea. That way we might actually win a blogging award, as opposed to what “usually happens”:https://crookedtimber.org/2005/02/15/your-opportunity-to-prove-daniel-davies-wrong/.

6

jholbo 03.25.05 at 11:23 am

Wow. I’m honored, even if I don’t win.

7

cloquet 03.25.05 at 11:25 am

Forget about the academic awards here at Crooked Timber. You should concentrate on awards that you actually might have a chance at winning, like best-looking blogger or something like that. I could go along with that.

8

Ereshkigal 03.25.05 at 11:49 am

MaxSpeak, self-nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature (for writing the Book of Love), has a three-day head start soliciting letters of nomination for all sorts of Nobel prizes. He may have cornered the market already.

If so, I would still nominate CT for the Nobel Peace Prize for Congeniality.

Just don’t make me watch the swimsuit competition.

9

cloquet 03.25.05 at 12:39 pm

I, personally, would love to see the swimsuit competition.

10

antirealist 03.25.05 at 12:43 pm

A few years ago, there was a self-described “Nobel nominee” working locally. I did express some doubts informally at the time, but the university and local media lapped it all up – he was wonderful, he was a star. Now, sadly, there are serious concerns about his work, major papers withdrawn and so on. One paper published in The Lancet (The Lancet!) is said to show results that are “statistically impossible.” A reviewer of another paper said that the data had “all the hallmarks of being entirely invented,” etc, etc.

It should be obvious that no reputable scientist would describe themselves as having been nominated for a Nobel, but it’s amazing how credulous smart people can be when they want to.

11

Jason Kuznicki 03.25.05 at 12:44 pm

I just want to win the Nobel Peace Prize for Beer.

12

riffle 03.25.05 at 12:50 pm

Do something else Dr. Hammesfahr did: set up a medical journal whose domain is registered to your office address, put a relative and an employee and a few friends on the “editorial board,” and start publishing, not perishing!

I kid you not. A bit more here

Don’t stop with the Nobel nomination — start a vanity “medical” press just like he did.

riffle

13

JP 03.25.05 at 1:15 pm

Hm. I vaguely remember an SNL bit from years ago that involved Henry Kissinger presenting someone a Nobel Prize for Best Pecan Pie.

14

cloquet 03.25.05 at 3:24 pm

Don’t give up on the Economics one, though. There are so many Nobel Economics prizes with multiple recipients, that all available economists will be used up very shortly, and then the competition will be opened up to people like Kieran Healy and Dsquared.

You might only get $100,000 or so after the prize money is split up, but more than enough to throw yourselves a big party.

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