Voting Station

Robert Furchgott

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Doctor

The Resume

    (June 4, 1916-May 19, 2009)
    Born in Charleston, South Carolina
    Discovered that nitric oxide (NO) relaxes blood vessels, regulating blood pressure and flow
    Discovery led to the invention of Viagra by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer
    Co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1998)

Why he might be annoying:

    Most of the headlines on his obituaries described him as a 'Viagra developer' rather than 'Nobel laureate.'
    Pfizer minimized his discovery as 'a small piece of information' in developing Viagra.
    He is indirectly responsible for a hefty chunk of spam cluttering your email inbox.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Thanks to his research, NO is being studied as a potential treatment for heart disease and pulmonary hypertension.
    Valentin Fuster, president of the American Heart Association, said 'The discovery of nitric oxide and its function is one of the most important in the history of cardiovascular medicine.'
    He was teaching and conducting research into his 80s.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 18 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 83 Votes: 59.04% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 31 Votes: 35.48% Annoying