Every year since 1901, the prestigious Nobel Prize winners have been announced in October, to showcase their innovative and cutting-edge research. As Stockholm residents, we have the privilege of having the home of the Nobel Prize right at our door, as the award is presented in the Stockholm Konserthuset during the month of December.
Moreover, the Nobel Prize is split into different categories from the sciences, to literature, to economics, to the most famous award: The Nobel Peace Prize. Differently from the others, this Nobel is given in Oslo, in its university. This year, these were the winners:
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023, was given to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huilier for “experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”. In simpler terms, they have developed a way to measure the very rapid movement of electrons inside atoms, using light.
In Chemistry, the Nobel Prize 2023 was awarded to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Aleksey Yekimov for their collaboration in “the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots”. If you are wondering what quantum dots are, don’t worry, I am too. Quantum dots are very tiny crystals that have different properties than a normal crystal causing the colour absorption to change. This discovery will greatly improve the colour quality of screens, displays and much more!
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman’s “discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19” have assured them their Nobel Prize in Medicine this year. These two scientists were able to modify an important part of RNA to create an effective vaccine during the pandemic.
If you aren’t much of a science person and prefer literature, well then this one’s for you. Jon Fosse, a Norwegian author, is the achiever of this year’s Nobel in Literature. Famous for his plays, Fosse is also the author of a variety of children’s books, poetry and novels, but what got him the Nobel were “his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.”
If you follow current world events, then maybe the fight against the oppression of women in Iran might sound familiar or be dear to you. Narges Mohammadi, a human rights activist, received the Nobel Peace Prize for her “fight to promote human rights and freedom for all”. A truly noble cause that will help people be more aware about this issue.
Still on the theme of gender inequalities, this year’s Economic Sciences’ Nobel was awarded to Claudia Goldin, a professor at Harvard, “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”. Her incredible research shed light on these differences to encourage their adjustment, to create equal wages for all.
These incredible discoveries will have a long-lasting impact on their respective fields. If you want to read more about an individual award, the Nobel prize website has each press release on the research. Stay tuned for the prize ceremony in December and next year’s Nobel winners!
