Oxygen

By Carl Djerassi and Roald Hoffman

Riverside Studios, London W14, until 1 December

(http://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/)

Rating:

Is science about advancing human knowledge or enhancing the reputation of scientists? How do you decide whom to credit for a scientific or medical breakthrough, when progress in these fields is incremental and often collaborative? What criteria do those who hand out gongs, such as Nobel prizes, use to reach their decisions?

Carl Djerassi, coauthor of this short play, has long been asking such questions. Over the past 14 years, he has written five novels in a genre he calls “science-in-fiction,” exploring the human side of scientific discovery and the personal trials and tribulations scientists go through in their …