Underdog Scientists Win Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Winners Celebrate With Champagne Baths, Victory Cigars

STOCKHOLM - An underdog team of scientists who discovered the protein that makes jellyfish glow won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry yesterday, ending a one-hundred year drought for protein scientists in the competition. 

“What curse?” shouted Osamu Shimomura to a group of reporters in the victorious winners locker room, a cigar clenched between his teeth, a commemorative 2008 Nobel Prize Winner baseball cap atop his head. 

“When we started this research, nobody gave us a chance, and now look at us,” he said throwing his arms back towards his fellow scientists, dousing each other with champagne, hopping up and down in a circle and hollering at the top of their lungs.  “We’re the champions of the scientific world!” 

Mr. Shimomura, who works at Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts, could barely contain his emotions.  “First of all, I want to give thanks to the One who made t his all possible, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with whom all things are possible.  I also want to thank my teammates, Martin Chalfie of Columbia University (What’s up Co-Lum-Bee-A!) and Roger Tsien of University of California, San Diego.  They did a great job for us all year, and we wouldn’t be here without them.” 

Shimomura said the full impact of his achievement hadn’t sunk in yet.  “It’s probably going to take a couple of days, you know?  Right now, I just can’t put how I’m feeling into words.”  Then, holding his Nobel Prize over his head, he shouted in a voice filled with emotion.  “We won the Nobel Prize, baby!  The Nobel Prize!”

Oct 10

  • About Carbolic

    “One of America’s great web sites.” Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    “The city’s equivalent of The Onion.” Ian Urbina, The New York Times

    “This stuff is better than The Onion.” Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

    “They’re some of the world’s funniest men, and they deserve our attention.” Rick Sebak, PBS/WQED Multimedia

    Carbolic on Air

    The Carbolic Smoke Ball Report airs every Friday — mornings with Jim Krenn and Randy Baumann, afternoons with Sean McDowell — on Pittsburgh’s top-rated radio station, 102.5 WDVE. Listen to the broadcasts here, and sample the archives here.


    Carbolic in Print

    The Carbolic Smoke Ball Page publishes every Monday in the Trib p.m., the afternoon edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Read this week's copy here, and browse our archives here.


    Contact Carbolic

    thejudge@carbolicsmoke.com

    Carbolic Smoke Ball Staff

    Tim Murray, Founder/Editor-in-Chief
    Bob Haas, Editor
    Chad Hermann, Editorial Director
    • • •
    Sean Cannon, Ace Reporter
    Neal Rosenblat, Writer/Designer
    Todd Shaffer, Staff Writer
    • • •
    Timothy Stefko, Illustrator
    The Voice, Radio Correspondent
    The Mayor, Radio Personality
    • • •
    The Hon. Judge Rufus Peckham, Founder Emeritus

    Carbolic Wear


    Carbolic WDVE Podcast