The World is moving towards innovation and advancements day by day, and the people who play their role in making advancements which makes life easier get acknowledged and highly recognized in their respective fields. Like film actors, films and other things that belong to entertainment get recognized in their field such as Oscar Awards (formerly known as Academy Awards) which is known as the biggest entertainment award ceremony in the World. Same like in Sports field, where footballers recognized by FIFA Awards and cricketers by ICC Awards etc. This all happens to acknowledge the services of the people who have contributed in this World through their skills. Similarly, there is also another award ceremony which organized every year to recognize those people whose contributions gives a new direction to the World. And that is Nobel Prize Ceremony.
Image credits: Edited by me
This prize was attributed to the name of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, philanthropist frequently known as the inventor of dynamite. It was his third and last will which he signed on November 27, 1895, at Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris and wanted it to be disclosed after his death. When opened and read after his death, it was written that all the wealth that Alfred had left before should go for the establishment of Nobel Prize. In the Will, Alfred wrote that his entire wealth should be used to endow “prizes to those people who during the preceding year shall have contributed to the greatest benefit to mankind”. However, this Will had created so much controversy in Switzerland as well as in the World, as the family of Alfred opposed the establishment of Nobel Prize and the awardees which were named by Alfred refused to do what he had requested in his will. By hook or by crook, the Nobel Prize Committee successfully managed to award the first Nobel Prize in 1901. Till now, every year Nobel Prize Ceremony takes place and award the people who made outstanding contributions in promoting peace and in the field of Medicine, Physiology, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, and Literature.
for the greatest benefit of Mankind - Alfred Nobel
Image credits: Nobelprize.org/Alfred's will
The paragraph of Alfred's will in which he wrote about the establishment of Nobel Prize.
So in this blog, I’ll discuss the Nobel Prize Ceremony 2017 which took place a few days ago…
Nobel Prize Ceremony 2017
The Nobel Prizes of 2017 has been announced and will be awarded to the laureates (people who won) on 10th December, where an actual ceremony will take place at Stockholm, Sweden. Where the Nobel laureates receive the Nobel Medal, Nobel Diploma and a document confirming the prize amount from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Out of all prizes, the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony held in Oslo, Norway where laureates receive their prize from the Chairman of Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Herald V Norway.
There are now total 923 Nobel Laureates including the 12 new Laureates in 2017. Out of 923, the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences were awarded 585 times. In which there are 6 people who won this award more than once, 24 organizations and 48 women as well. The age of youngest laureate to win this prize is 17 years and the oldest is 90 years. So after knowing the facts of Nobel Prize, let’s move towards the descriptions of Nobel Laureates 2017.
The Nobel Prize in Physics
The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics didn’t belong to any single person. It was divided between three people as the committee decided to award the prize with one-half to Rainer Weiss and the other half shared between Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne “for the decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of the gravitational waves”.
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
From left to right: Rainer Weiss (Prize Share 1/2), Barry C. Barrish (Prize Share 1/3), Kip S. Thorne (Prize Share 1/3).
The concept of gravitational waves was given by the great physicist of 20th Century Albert Einstein also a Nobel Laureate in Physics 1921. In addition, Einstein was convinced that it is impossible to measure them. However, the universe’s gravitational waves were observed for the very first time on 14th September 2015. It was observed through the LIGO detector in the USA.
Image credits: John Jarnestad/Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
That is how gravitational waves was being observed.
LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Theory Observatory, is a combined project of over one thousand researchers from different countries. Together, they have planned a vision almost 50 years old. In the mid 70’s, Rainer Weiss analyzed the possible sources of background noise that would disturb measurements and as a remedy, he had designed a detector, a laser-based interferometer which would tackle this noise.
Furthermore, Rainer along with Kip Thorne was firmly convinced that this device could also be used to detect the gravitational waves. Rainer Weiss, Kip Throne along with Barry, the scientist and leader successfully brought their project to completion and make finally ensured that 40 years of effort finally led to gravitational waves finally being observed.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine
Similar to Physics Award, the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine equally shared between three people. The prize was awarded jointly to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Roshbash, and Michael W. Young “for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm”.
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
From left to right: Jeffrey C. Hall (Prize Share 1/3), Michael Roshabsh (Prize Share 1/3), Michael Young (Prize Share 1/3).
We’ve known that life on Earth is adapted on the rotation of our planet so that the living organisms, including humans, have an internal, biological that helps to adapt our regular rhythm of the day. These guys using fruit flies as a model organism were able to peek inside our biological clock and explained how plants, animals, and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that is synchronized with Earth’s revolutions.
Image credits: Noble Media
As we can see from tyhe above picture, the leaves of the mimosa plant open towards the sun during day but close at dusk during night.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Well, it’s again a trio who’ve been selected for this award. The Noble Prize in Chemistry 2017 was equally shared between Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson “for developing the cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution”.
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
From left to right: Jacques Dubochet (prize share 1/3), Joachim Frank (prize share 1/3), Richard Henderson (prize share 1/3).
The development of cryo-electron microscopy has moved bio-chemistry into a new era. Cryo-electron microscopy has changed the perception of the scientific breakthroughs which often build upon the visualization and invisible to the human eye. Researchers can now freeze the bio-molecule mid movements and visualize the process they’ve never seen before which plays the conclusive role in the life chemistry as well as the development of pharmaceuticals.
Richard generate a three-dimensional image of a protein using an electron microscope whereas, Joachim made the technology applicable and Jacques added water to electron microscopy.
Normally, my dog wakes me early in the morning. But today, it was the Nobel Prize.
- Joachim Frank
The Nobel Prize in Literature
The 2017 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to the English author Kazuo Ishiguro who wrote novels with great emotional strength and has emerged the incredible feeling with the World.
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
Kazuo Ishiguro
Video credits: youtube.com
Kazuo Ishiguro words about his prize.
The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
This Prize has been named "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences" in memory of Alfred Noble. The Noble Prize in Economic Science 2017 was awarded to Richard H. Thaler “for his contributions to behavioral economics”.
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
Richard H. Thaler
Richard Thaler had made a connection between the economic and psychological analyses of individual decision making. By defining the consequences of limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of self-control, he has shown how these humans actually traits systematically affect individual decisions as well as market outcomes.
The Nobel Peace Prize
This prize has nothing to do with the contributions in the field of science. In fact, this prize has been established for those who promote peace through their activities where it requires most. This year, The Nobel Peace Prize 2017 was awarded to an International Campaign whose mission is to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) “for its work to create attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.”
Image credits: Noble Media/III. N. Elemhed
There is no doubt that, we live in a World where the risk of nuclear weapons being used is now greater than it has been for a long time. We’ve heard and seen the consequences of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Japan which was attacked by the nuclear bomb. Some countries are modernizing their nuclear weapons which are not only a danger for their neighboring countries but for the whole World and humanity as exemplified by North Korea.
Video credits: youtube.com
The announcement of Noble Peace Prize 2017.
Through their work ICAN, has helped to fill the legal gap. They’re in touch with different N.G.O’s from around 100 different countries around the globe. Through this collaboration, they are doing a campaign to come out ahead upon the World’s nation to pledge in efforts to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. Till now, 108 states have made such commitment, known as the Humanitarian Pledge.
So, guys, I hope you had enjoyed my blog. Remember the names of Nobel Prize Winner have been announced but the prize distribution ceremony will take place on December 10, so don’t to watch it. Thanks!
