Peter Woit relates a story about how four physicists did work that led to a Nobel Prize, but the rules only allowed it to be given to three of them, creating a motive for murder. The story is consistent with Andrew Oswald’s finding that not getting the Nobel Prize reduces your expected lifespan by two years. The fited article frames it as that winning the prize increases your lifespan, but so many more eligible people don’t get it than do (and the No comes year after year). I’d guess that it’s a net reducer of scientists’ lifespans. Even setting murder aside.
One "no" after another? Reminds me of these lyrics from Steve Goodman's "Dying Cub Fan's Last Request":
"But what do you expect,
When you raise up a young boy's hopes
And then just crush 'em like so many paper beer cups
Year after year after year
after year, after year, after year, after year, after year
'Til those hopes are just so much popcorn
for the pigeons beneath the 'L' tracks to eat?"
Yes, definitely. And in fact it is my belief based on observation that on the day of the relevant Nobel announcement a lot more people are feeling very grumpy and behaving very badly towards their wives because they did NOT get a call than actually surprised and delighted because they DID!
Sounds like that working toward a Nobel Prize is a productive way to shorten one's life.
I bet one of the women will be murdered by one of the men… heheh.
On the other hand you must be alive to get a Nobel. Thus, one might say, that dying young reduces your chance of getting a Nobel?