Thursday, August 31, 2006

Would you rather win a $1 million Nobel Prize or win a $25 million lottery?

3 comments:

SA said...

Depends on how it was awarded. Now, if It were the Nobel Peace Prize, I think I would choose that. Perhaps I would have solved the middle east inferno in order to have received it. Now, if it werre the Nobel prize for having solved some esoteric therum, I guess I would have to choose the 25 grand lottery. Speaking of, I still haven't raised my 500 for my 150 ride.

Anonymous said...

To win a $1 Mil Nobel Peace prize means that ones thoughts and actions were right ans selfless, as was said, as to stopping carnage and conflict and change the face of humanity.

To find ways (a solution) that the world could work together to attain, instead of apart. A noble task set out by One or Some to impart some good on the world altruistically.

So the prize would be welcomed in the spirit of "giving."

A lottery win is based on the randon chance that someone has chosen the right grouping of numbers it is a very selfish route to persue, when placed in opposition to a Nobel Peace Prize "Prize."

This prize is welcomed in the spirit of "taking," it is quite a different motivation. There is no forward effort to picking lottery numbers, but mere chance that one might HIT the Big One.

At least if one is notified that one is in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize, ones work is being lauded by a jury of ones peers in the chosen field of study persuant to solutions for humanity not the persuit of ones wallet.

This gives pause as the the motivations of the seeker of either prize. Do I do this for the good of man - OR - for the good of myself?

I had to think about this answer before I wrote it down for posterity.

Good question!

Jeremy

Stephen Sadler said...

Of course, I'm happy that my writing and/or work in physics has earned me the Nobel Prize. I proudly accept the one million tax-free dollars. And then I would buy a million lottery tickets and try to win the 25 million dollar prize.