Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: Editorial: Cedar Key News Annual Meeting March 29
March 8th, 2008

Editorial: Let School Board Know What Should Be Taught
February 15th, 2008

Editorial: What Is a Fair Tax?
February 4th, 2008

Editorial: Inconsistent Appraisals Harm Taxpayers
December 17th, 2007

Editorial: Energy Crisis?
November 30th, 2007

Editorial: Florida Water War Heat Up
October 16th, 2007

Editorial: Nobel Prizes in Medicine
October 5th, 2007

Editorial: Editorial: Same Rules for Everyone
September 22nd, 2007

Editorial: Demand Action on Bridge Repair
August 8th, 2007

Editorial: Local Response Needed to Stem Clam Poaching
July 24th, 2007

Editorial: Money, Money, Money...Votes
July 9th, 2007

Editorial: We Celebrate Independence and Clams
June 26th, 2007

Editorial: Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?
June 12th, 2007

Editorial: The Sources of Progress in Medicine
May 30th, 2007

Editorial: A New Era of Politics and Religion
May 17th, 2007

More

What Decline?

What Decline?

Editorial

Editor`s Note: This rerun of the July 15, 2011 editorial in Cedar Key News is reinforced by the October 2011 announcements of this year`s Nobel Prize winners. Three Americans share the Physics Prize and an American shared the Physiology and Medicine Prize with men from Luxembourg and Canada.


In recent months there has been a crescendo of moaning about the decline of America. Politics aside, predictions of the end of the world may be a symptom of senility in those doing the moaning. Let us look at a longstanding measure of progress, namely the Nobel Prize and the nationalities of the prize winners.

Founded in 1901, the prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace were seldom given to Americans in the first twenty-nine years that awards were given. Recognition of Americans blossomed in the 1930`s. Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O`Neil and Pearl Buck received awards in Literature. Four other Americans received Nobel Prizes.


Over the one hundred ten years that the Nobel Prizes have been awarded Americans have won three hundred twenty-six prizes, two hundred forty-nine in the past fifty years. That is nearly three times the closest competitor, the United Kingdom. Germany, France and Japan trail far behind.

As for the decline of America, in the 1980`s Americans took home forty-eight prizes. In the 1990`s Americans won fifty-one prizes, but in the past decade sixty-six Americans were honored. Prizes in Literature, Economics and Literature abound. Americans continue to lead in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine.

At this beginning of the twenty-first century, the world faces terrorism, epidemics and nuclear disasters. But we cannot accept fear-monger`s claims of decline by the leaders of the scientific, literary and diplomatic communities. We Americans are leaders, and must continue to lead.

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com