After finding out that a group of Swedish scientists has been slipping Bob Dylan references into their scholarly writings, Billboard went ahead and contacted one of the brilliant men.
Professor Eddie Weitzberg works in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute. He also dabbles in lyric dropping, which has gotten him more attention than any of his scientific work. "Sometimes scientists are asked to write a commentary or an editorial, reflecting on some other researchers' work," he said, noting that the informal writing became a chance for he and colleague John Jundberg to exchange clever Dylan references like "Nitric Oxide and Inflammation: The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind" and "Blood on the Tracks: A Simple Twist of Fate."
"A good scientist needs to follow his or her intuition and not be afraid to challenge dogmas," Weitzberg explained. "In my mind, Dylan has always had the courage to follow his artistic beliefs regardless of what was expected from him. Many good scientists work really hard throughout their lives, and retirement is not an option. Dylan seems to do the same, still touring worldwide."
Reportedly, the scientist who pulls off the most references before retirement gets a free lunch.
Weitzberg went on to say that none of his work has ever gotten this much media attention. He then took the time to publicize what he's currently studying, via Billboard: "The effects of nitric oxide in the body, especially how that which comes from certain vegetables assists cardiovascular function." No word on what Dylan song he's going to use for that paper.
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