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THE 鈥渄ark side鈥� of scientific research is the focus of US physician Morton Meyers鈥檚 enjoyable, if disquieting, book Prize Fight. More particularly, the Machiavellian behaviour that inevitably arises from scientists鈥� desire for recognition and reward 鈥� especially a Nobel prize 鈥� alongside the more publicly acceptable satisfaction of discovering and applying ground-breaking knowledge. Think James Watson鈥檚 famed account of discovering the structure of DNA, The Double Helix.

鈥淢achiavellian behaviour inevitably arises from scientists鈥� desire for recognition and reward鈥�

While innovation in science is generally seen as a force for good, it too often comes at a high price 鈥� in rampant egotism, bitter denunciation of co-workers and unscrupulous peer-review, not to mention failure to acknowledge influences, plagiarism and even fraud. As Machiavelli himself wrote: 鈥淭he innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.鈥�

The book鈥檚 examples come from across the sciences 鈥� although the notorious rivalry to invent the transistor goes unmentioned 鈥� but the bias is towards biomedical science, Meyers鈥檚 speciality.

Indeed, half the book is devoted to two biomedical disputes: that between microbiologist Selman Waksman and his star pupil Albert Schatz over the credit for the discovery of the anti-tuberculosis drug streptomycin in the 1940s, and the rivalry between chemist Paul Lauterbur and physician-turned-entrepreneur Raymond Damadian over the invention of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the 1970s. The first battle ended up in court; the second in full-page adverts in The New York Times. Waksman and Lauterbur won Nobel prizes; Schatz and Damadian did not. None of the four emerges smelling of roses.

At the end, Meyers calls for scientists to be more open about the extent of the problem. But he admits that it is difficult to solve without stultifying innovative science. After all, there is still no widespread agreement as to how to order the names of joint contributors to a scientific paper 鈥� the first step in assigning credit for a discovery.