The Resume

(November 17, 1922-February 5, 2020)
Born in Brooklyn, New York
Biochemist
Co-recipient (with Rita Levi-Montalcini) of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of epidermal growth factor (EGF)
Also received the National Medal of Science (1986)

Why he might be annoying:

For his doctoral thesis on the metabolism of earthworms, he had to gather over 5,000 worms from the campus grounds at the University of Michigan.
Figuring no one would believe he was digging up worms for a PhD, he told any passersby who asked that he was doing it for a fraternity initiation. (‘They believed that.’)
He frequently burned holes in his pockets by absent-mindedly putting his still-lit pipe in them.

Why he might not be annoying:

He survived childhood polio.
His work on EGF led to the development of new drugs to fight cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
He said there were two keys to successful research: ‘One, pay careful attention to your data and, two, be lucky.’

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• Born in Brooklyn, New York
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 74]
• I Attended Oberlin College
• I Attended University of Michigan
• I Died in 2020 (Ranked: 97)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• I Have Polio
• Male Pipe Smokers
• Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (Ranked: 1986)
• Profiles 46251-46500 (Ranked: 46297)
• Scientists
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 20200205)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 71 Votes: 49.30% Annoying