A Nobel prize for love?

In “Nobel prizes bring out the best and worst in pharma”, (Opinion, Oct 9), we are given an insightful look into the two-sided nature of the awards. Beginning with the significance of dynamite, Nobel’s money-spinning invention that is both good and bad depending on mankind’s use of it, the results of many scientific discoveries often have extremely grave consequences.

In fact, the cumulative application of what we have learned over the last few centuries has now put planet earth in dire jeopardy. Although the Nobel Prize for economics this year did involve theories inclusive of sustainability and climate change, the voodoo nature of economics offers us little hope economists will save the earth from our destructive ways anytime soon.

Furthermore, the Nobel Peace prize seems often to be given to those who stand up to overwhelming odds in a struggle that never seems to end. Thus let the peace prize be awarded to those who succeed in conflict resolution and the like.

I suggest a new category of prize more meaningful for our species’ survival be created, one which recognises someone who enables an understanding of greed and its relinquishment, who promotes the embrace of tolerance and cooperation on a large scale, and who facilitates the widespread erosion of selfishness. We need such individuals far more than scientists or economists.

Perhaps it could be called the love prize?

MICHAEL SETTER