The Resume

(May 30, 1912-December 29, 2004)
Born in New York City, New York
Biochemist
Studied the release and uptake of a group of brain chemicals known as catecholamine neurotransmitters
Corecipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1970)

Why he might be annoying:

He blamed his failure to be admitted to medical school on a combination of mediocre grades and prejudice against Jews: 'I wasn't that good a student, but if my name was Bigelow, I probably would have gotten in.'
He conducted research with LSD and predicted that by 2000, 'All psychedelic trips (because we can control them) will be good ones.'
He became increasingly outspoken on political and social issues after winning his Nobel Prize, commenting, 'Before, no one asked me to sign petitions. A Nobel laureate's signature is very visible.'

Why he might not be annoying:

He was married to Sally Taub for 53 years.
He had to wear an eyepatch after injuring his eye in an ammonia explosion.
His work led to a new class of antidepressants, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), most famously Prozac.
He protested the Soviet treatment of dissident scientists like Andrei Sakharov.
An opponent of euphemistic language, when a colleague mentioned 'sacrificing' rats in an experiment, he replied, 'We didn't have any altars in our laboratories. We just killed the rats.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 86]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [May] (Ranked: 5301912)
• I am a Jewish Atheist
• I am an Atheist
• I Attended City College of New York
• I Attended George Washington University
• I Attended NYU
• I Died in 2004 (Ranked: 92)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (Ranked: 1970)
• Profiles 53751-54000 (Ranked: 53965)
• Scientists
• We Celebrated Our Golden Anniversary

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying