384.22 // Rumours Surrounding the Nodal Prizes
You know what time of year it is, when prominent scientists throughout the galaxy go out to get a new haircut and buy a new set of clothes. It is time for the annual Nodal Prizes!
The prize is not only the pinnacle of achievement in science, it also comes with enough prize credits to buy a small moon. We know this because Reyus Dean, winner of last year’s prize in economics, did exactly that. The actual credits awarded is a closely guarded secret, but from Dean’s “moonastic” purchase we all know that it is ga-lactic!
This year, however, the chemists in academia may save themselves the haircut. Rumours has it that the Nodal Prize in Chemistry will not go to one of the major research institutions on the core planets. No, if the rumour is true, a young student at a Jedi temple may find themselves in an unusual situation and with a lot of credits. If this happens, it will be the first time that the chemistry prize is awarded outside of academia. Ever.
This rumour has obviously got a lot of mixed reactions from people throughout the galaxy. A lot of people feel that this signals a fresh initiative from the Nodal committee. But some of the scientists we spoke to feel that the Nodal Prizes should only be given to individuals who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of true knowledge. If it is awarded to the Jedi, it would signal an endorsement of a particular set of religious views and ancient pseudoscience. Eric Waterhole from the Wideland Institute of Science and Technology said that “it would be a major disaster,” and “[he] cannot see how the committee could ever gain the trust of scientists again if they make this clearly politically motivated move. The Nodal Prize should not be a platform for political propaganda.”
The entrepreneur Alkur Nodal of Glee Anselm started several galactic companies throughout his career, including Artek Technologies, Omniware and Uplift Me. After his unfortunate early death during a visit to one of his mining companies in 322 ABY, his widowed wife, Eefie Nodal, established the Nodal Foundation and donated their entire fortune to it with the explicit purpose of funding a series of awards to living scientists throughout the galaxy who had made “an unusual and noteworthy breakthrough in their field”.