Quote (piddywiffle @ Nov 21 2012 11:43am)
Ah!
But science only recognizes it when the results are in conclusively!
And don't you try to take my two in one year away from me sir! I will fight you with my cat like nails >:3
The results were in conclusively back then, too. It's just that so many discoveries are made so often that no one ever wins the Nobel Prize right when they make the conclusive discovery. Einstein didn't win his Nobel Prize until 1922 (though he has the 1921 award because none of the nominees in 1921 were chosen so they gave 2 out the following year), even though his paper about the photoelectric effect (and relativity, brownian motion, etc) was published in 1905.
But that's one of the greatest parts about science, really. Every year we're pushing the boundaries farther and farther. It's kind of cool that we don't have enough awards to keep up with the rate of new discoveries, isn't it? Every year there are things in every branch of science that has the ability to radically change the world and our understanding of it.