The Nobel Prize is a set of awards given each year in several categories, including Peace, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, and Economic Sciences. Established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, engineer, and industrialist, the prizes are awarded to people or groups who have made significant contributions in their fields. Each prize typically includes a medal, diploma, and a cash award. The Nobel Prizes are among the most prestigious recognitions in the world. The 2023 Prizes were announced in October.
The Physics Prize was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier, for their work on electron movement. They discovered a way to create incredibly short bursts of light, which can be used to measure the movement of electrons and the transfer of energy within.
The Chemistry Prize was awarded to Moungi Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Quantum dots are very small semiconductors which can glow in different colors. They allow for higher precision and clarity for technologies like nanotech and TVs.
The Medicine Prize was awarded to Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman for the creation of the COVID vaccine. The COVID vaccine was very significant because it is the first mRNA vaccine to be approved for human use. An mRNA vaccine works by imitating a part of the virus’ genome, triggering an immune response. This teaches the body to fight the virus once it actually encounters the real virus.
The Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi for her lead in feminist movements in Iran. She fights for freedom and human rights, particularly advocating for women’s rights in Iran. She has been arrested multiple times throughout her political campaign for her activism, but she still came back time and time again to fight for gender equality and freedom.
The Literature Prize was awarded to Jon Fosse, a Norwegian poet, playright, and author for “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.”
Finally, the Economics Prize was awarded to Claudia Goldin for her analyses on the gender differences in the labor market.