Dreams of Fame in Djerassi's Cantor's Dilemma Opportunistic scientists, the most hypocritical deviants of the modern era, revolve around the scientific method, or at least they used to. The scientific method once consisted of formulating a hypothesis based on a problem posed, experimenting, and drawing a conclusion that best explained the data collected. Yet today, those who wish to criticize the work of their peers apply the scientific method themselves out of order. I propose that scientists, or the “treasure hunters” of this field, are no longer interested in permanent solutions, achieved through proper use of the scientific method, but rather in solutions that guarantee fame and fortune. The motif of scientific discovery is a popular theme in fiction writing, particularly in Carl Djerassi's Cantor's Dilemma. Cantor's Dilemma is a novel about the lifelong struggles of two scientists and a "campaign" for the Nobel Prize. Delving deeper into the context of the novel, we find it similar to that of a political race, a fight for glory. For example, the "Cantor-Stafford experiment", the first tumorigenesis experiment tested in the novel, was not validated before its results were published. This example does not meet the standards of the scientific method because a conclusion was reached before the experiment was fully executed. Any true scientist would surely know that such conclusions are inappropriate and not worthy of the Nobel Prize. Yet both Cantor and Stafford won Nobel Prizes for their work. Kurt Krauss in Cantor's Dilemma, an opportunistic scientist, is the extreme of scientific deviance. As a fellow scientist and competitor, Krauss is charged with the duty of ch...... middle of paper ... I do not believe that my experience has changed the scientist's methods in this endeavor. Both in fiction and in real life, a certain class of scientists has decided to ignore the scientific method and pursue dreams of glory. With this fame, they hope to dig deep into our pockets and reap the rewards of their bad work. It is very clear from the examples given that these scientists, who have apparently reversed scientific evolution, no longer care about real science and the scientific method, but rather about their personal glory.1 Carl Djerassi, Cantor's Dilemma (New York , New York: Penguin Books, 1991), p. 113.2 Djerassi, The Cantor's Dilemma, p. 113.3 Abbott Laboratories, Medical News, (http://www.plsgroup.com/dg/72da.htm), 5:25 p.m. 9/23/974 "Cold Fusion Times", (Wellesey Hills, MA http://world.std. com), 7 p.m.15. 9/23/97