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Kane Ala
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Science that's seemingly silly — but is actually significant — received some enchanted recognition recently. Discoveries involving glowing jellyfish, radiation waves and tropical coral have garnered the first Golden Goose Awards Thursday (Sept. 13) night.
"We've all seen reports that ridicule odd-sounding research projects
as examples of government waste," said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), who had the original idea for the award. "The Golden Goose Award does the opposite. It recognizes that a valuable federally funded research project may sound funny, but its purpose is no laughing matter." Cooper originally came up with the idea to educate the public and Congress on the value of federally funded basic scientific research
.
The award's name alludes to the Aesop fable
"The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs," and is also a play on the "Golden Fleece Award," bestowed by the late Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.), on research he considered wasteful spending. Rather than "wasteful," Golden Goose Awards will honor those obscure studies that have led to major breakthroughs that have had a significant, and often serendipitous, impact on humans and the economy.
"We've all seen reports that ridicule odd-sounding research projects
The award's name alludes to the Aesop fable