The 2024 Nobel Prize “Draw Week” has begun, and six awards will be announced one after another.
The Nobel Prize has been awarded for over 120 years since its first presentation in 1901. Where did this highly anticipated award come from? What are the highlights of the 2024 Nobel Prize? Looking back at a hundred years of history, among the many highly specialized and seemingly “aloof” Nobel Prizes, which research achievements are closely related to our lives?
A will that almost died prematurely
In 1896, Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel passed away. In his will, he decided to donate his property of over 31 million Swedish kronor to establish a fund and divide the annual interest as a bonus into five parts, rewarding those who made outstanding contributions to humanity in the five major fields of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine, literature, and peace.
Data image: Half body portrait of Alfred Nobel.
However, this will did not receive immediate support at the time of its publication. Some people believe that this is Nobel’s’ wild imagination ‘. Among the conservatives at the time, there were still those who hoped to prevent the will from being fulfilled, and even labeled Nobel as “unpatriotic” because he did not donate a huge inheritance to Sweden.
Finally, after lengthy and difficult negotiations, the Swedish king declared the Nobel will effective in 1898. In 1901, the first batch of Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.
Afterwards, on the occasion of its 300th anniversary in 1968, the Swedish National Bank (SNB) established the “Nobel Prize in Economics” to commemorate Alfred Nobel. However, the prize money for this award does not come from Nobel’s huge legacy, but from the Swedish central bank’s donation to the Nobel Foundation.
What are the highlights of the 2024 Nobel Prize
Usually, the list of Nobel laureates is announced in October each year, and the award ceremony is held on the anniversary of Nobel’s death on December 10th. At that time, the winners will receive medals, certificates, and documents confirming the amount of the prize money.
Data Image: Nobel Medal.
On September 19th, the list of “Citation Laureate Awards” known as the “Nobel Prize Wind vane” was revealed, with 22 research elites selected for 2024. Their research results are considered to have Nobel level and have had a wide impact in their respective fields.
As the “lottery week” approaches, the announcement dates for the various awards of the 2024 Nobel Prize have also been finalized (Beijing time):
Physiology or Medicine Award: No earlier than 17:30 on October 7th
Physics Prize: No earlier than 17:45 on October 8th
Chemistry Prize: No earlier than 17:45 on October 9th
Literature Award: no earlier than 19:00 on October 10th
Peace Prize: no earlier than 17:00 on October 11th
Economics Prize: no earlier than 17:45 on October 14th
According to the official website of the Nobel Prize, the prize money for each Nobel Prize in 2024 will remain the same as in 2023, at 11 million Swedish kronor.
The Nobel Prize Around Us
As an annual ‘global scientific feast’, the Nobel Prize – especially in physiology or medicine, physics, and chemistry – seems far away from those who are not exposed to research in this field. However, in the list of awards over the years, there are many research topics that are “high cold”, practical results, and have already been integrated into or even changed our lives.
——Medical research
The Chinese scientist Tu Youyou is best known for separating the antimalarial drug artemisinin from traditional Chinese medicine and winning the 2015 Nobel Prize. Currently, artemisinin has been widely used in malaria endemic areas. In sub Saharan Africa alone, approximately 240 million people have benefited from artemisinin combination therapy since 2000.
Data Image: On December 10, 2015, in Stockholm, Sweden, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Tu Youyou, received her award.
In 1923, Canadian doctors such as Banting were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of insulin. Over the next hundred years, this material helped countless diabetes patients live a normal life;
In 1945, three British scientists, Fleming, Flory, and Chann, won an award for their discovery of penicillin and its clinical efficacy. This drug, which can efficiently treat bacterial infections with minimal side effects, helps humans overcome the fear of being dominated by bacterial infections and significantly extends their average lifespan;
——X-ray
In 1901, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to German scientist R ö ntgen for the discovery of X-rays. The X-rays he discovered during experiments at home paved the way for medical imaging technology and were widely used in clinical medicine. Nowadays, whether conducting physical examinations in hospitals or non-destructive testing to evaluate product quality in factories, X-rays are indispensable.
——Plastic
In the 1950s, German scientist Staudinger won an award for his research on polymer chemistry; In the 1960s, Italian scientist Nata and German scientist Ziegler jointly won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for synthesizing polymer plastics. These studies have driven technological development in the field of plastics. Nowadays, from toothbrushes and takeaway food containers to computer casings and airplane parts, various plastic products have already spread to every corner around us.
——Lithium battery
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to American physicist Goodenough and others closely related to the invention and development of modern lithium batteries. Nowadays, rechargeable, lightweight, and powerful batteries can be seen everywhere in mobile phones, computers, and electric vehicles. As stated on the official website of the Nobel Prize, these scientists have “created a rechargeable world”.
Perhaps as Louis Ignaero, the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, said, “Any scientific discovery that has won the Nobel Prize should not be shelved, but should be accessible to the public