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Published on: January 4, 2018
Winner's curse: The sad aftermath of the discovery of insulin
James R Wright1, Edwin A M Gale2
1Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Julia McFarlane Diabetes Research Centre, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract:
Every young researcher dreams of making a great discovery, but few achieve it. If they do, success does not guarantee happiness. There is little satisfaction in discovering something if others get the credit, and those who achieve fame must face the 'winner's curse' of living up to their reputation. Few discoveries have been more dramatic than the isolation of insulin which, as Michael Bliss said, resembled a secular miracle. And yet, as he also pointed out, this great discovery brought little happiness to those who made it. Some were sidelined, and Banting and Best were saddled with the winner's curse. Here, we look at the ways in which a great discovery can haunt its discoverers.
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