Question 1

True or false: Macfarlane Burnet was a professional opera singer before becoming a scientist.

Accepted Answer

False. Macfarlane Burnet was a physician and virologist, not an opera singer. He enjoyed music as a hobby, but no evidence exists of a professional opera career.

Question 2

True or false: Burnet’s major work was on the structure of DNA, rivaling Watson and Crick.

Accepted Answer

False. He never worked on DNA structure. His focus was immunology, virology, and infectious diseases—not molecular genetics.

Question 3

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane developed the concept of clonal selection theory entirely on his own without any prior influence.

Accepted Answer

False. Burnet was influenced by Niels Jerne’s 1955 natural selection theory of antibody formation. His 1957 clonal selection theory built upon Jerne’s ideas, so it was not developed without prior influence.

Question 4

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane won the Nobel Prize for discovering how the immune system tolerates self-tissue.

Accepted Answer

True. He shared the 1960 Nobel Prize with Peter Medawar for the theory of acquired immunological tolerance, a cornerstone of modern immunology.

Question 5

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane refused the Nobel Prize due to disagreement with prize ceremonies.

Accepted Answer

False. Burnet accepted the 1960 Nobel Prize and attended the ceremony. He was a traditionalist who valued scientific recognition.

Question 6

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on acquired immunological tolerance.

Accepted Answer

True. He shared the 1960 Nobel Prize with Peter Medawar for discovering acquired immunological tolerance.

Question 7

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1960 for the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance.

Accepted Answer

True. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet (often referred to as Burnet Macfarlane) shared the 1960 Nobel Prize with Peter Medawar for their work on acquired immunological tolerance, a foundational concept in immunology.

Question 8

True or false: Burnet Macfarlane believed that all infectious diseases would be eradicated by 2000.

Accepted Answer

False. Burnet was pessimistic about eradication, warning that viruses like influenza would persist. He didn't predict complete eradication by 2000.

Burnet Macfarlane Trivia Questions