We explain what the Nobel Prize is and who founded it. We also explain the categories into which it is divided and its characteristics.
What is the Nobel Prize?
It’s called Nobel Prize (pronounced Nobel Prizealthough many prefer Nobel Prize) to the The highest international award in the worldwhich is awarded once a year to individuals whose contributions in various areas are significant. It is a reference in the worldwide exaltation of transcendent values and commitment to humanity.
It is awarded to one or more individuals each year.according to various categories, by a group of institutions in Sweden and Norway, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Karolinska Institute, the Swedish Academy and the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Despite its prestige, has been the subject of criticism and questioning at timesIn fact, the 2018 edition of the award was presented without the Literature mention, due to allegations of sexual harassment within the awarding institution. For this reason, a double prize will be awarded in this category in 2019.
See also: Martin Luther King
Origin of the Nobel Prize
In 1895 the prize was established as The last will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. It is also awarded to Nobel the invention of dynamite.
Another of his achievements was the founding of the Bofors companydedicated to the production of iron and steel, as well as cannons and other forms of weaponry.
In 1888 his brother Ludvig died.A French newspaper published an erroneous obituary, thinking that Alfred was the one who had died. The obituary called him “The Merchant of Death.”
This impressed Nobel so much that, it is said, decided to invest his fortune in some kind of more positive legacy. For this reason, he immediately changed his will, allocating almost 94% of his immense fortune to the creation of the awards that bear his name.
History of the Nobel Prize
After Alfred Nobel’s death, the Nobel Foundation was created. to administer the awards, and the inaugural edition was presented in 1901. The first recipients were:
- Physical. Willhelm Röntgen (Germany)
- Chemistry. Jacobus Henricus van’t Hoff (Netherlands)
- Medicine. Emil Adolf von Behring (Germany)
- Literature. Sully Proudhomme (France)
- Peace. Philanthropist Jean Henri Dunant (Switzerland) with politician and economist Frédéric Passy (France).
The 1938 and 1939 editions were controversial. because the Nazi government of Germany prohibited the prizewinners Richard Kuhn, Adolf Butenandt and Gerhard Domagk from receiving their awards, which were only presented after the end of World War II.
During the conflict, despite Sweden’s neutrality, the Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded in 1939, and when Germany later invaded Norway, The awards stopped being presented until 1942.The following year, the awards were resumed except for the peace prize and the literature prize.
The Prize for Economic Sciences was created in 1968.when the Swedish central bank donated a significant sum of money to the Nobel Foundation to establish the award, in celebration of the bank’s tercentenary. It was first awarded to Dutchman Jan Tinbergen and Norwegian Ragnar Frisch.
Nobel Prize Categories
The Nobel Prize It includes six annual categoriesfor which one or more winners may be chosen, depending on the authorship of the contribution that is sought to be recognized. These categories are: Literature, Physics, Medicine, Chemistry, Economic Sciences and Actions for Peace.
There are two parallel prizes to the Nobel Prize, awarded by similar committees and which recognize the contribution in Mathematical Sciences (Abel Prize) and in Historical Sciences (Jaeger-LeCoultre Prize). However, these awards are much less well-known than the Nobel Prize.
Peace Prize
This award is given annually to someone who, in the opinion of the jury, “has worked more or better in favor of brotherhood among nationsthe abolition or reduction of existing armies, and the holding and promotion of peace processes,” according to Alfred Nobel’s will.
This award It is awarded in Oslo, Norway, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.. It has been awarded to 98 individuals and 20 organizations throughout history. In some cases, these decisions have proven to be somewhat controversial.
Literature Prize
This award recognizes the work and labor of “whoever has produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work, in the ideal direction”, according to Alfred Nobel’s will. The selection is made by the Swedish Academy and is announced on the first Thursday of October each year.
This award It has been awarded to 114 international writers of different nationalities. Certain authors whose fundamental work merited it have been ignored, such as the Argentine Jorge Luis Borges. Two authors declined it at the time: the Soviet Boris Pasternak and the French Jean Paul Sartre.
Physics Award
According to the founding instructions, this award should be given to “Scientists who stand out for their contributions in the field of physics”.
It is administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciencesin Stockholm, Sweden, every December 10. It has been awarded 111 times, with the only two-time winner being American John Bardeen.
Medicine Award
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine It is awarded annually by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.to “scientists and physicians who are outstanding for their contributions to the field of physiology or medicine” according to Alfred Nobel’s will.
It is delivered every December 10ththe anniversary of Nobel’s death. It has been awarded 109 times, having been declared void in several of its editions.
Chemistry Award
The last of the original prizes is intended, as its name indicates, for scientists who excel in the field of chemistry. 160 scientists have received itincluding British biochemist Frederick Sanger, who received it twice. The selection is made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Economics Prize
The so-called “Nobel Prize in Economics” It was actually founded as a Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel. It was added in 1968 to recognize the work of those who have made significant contributions to the field of economic knowledge.
It has been awarded since 1969 to 70 economistsAlthough it is associated with the other prizes and is rewarded with the same amount of money and a similar medal, it is actually a prize from the Swedish banks managed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
It has been a controversial award, since It was not among those initially planned by Nobeland reviewing the profile of its prizewinners, it becomes evident that certain orthodox economic theories and practices are favoured over other possible ones. In other circles, even the true scientific value of the prize is disputed.
What is the Nobel Prize?
Nobel Prize winners are awarded with a medal minted by the Norwegian Mint and the Swedish company Mynverket. It has the profile of Alfred Nobel engraved along with his birth and death data. On the other side the Latin inscription Invents life exalted by arts (“Discovered to help improve knowledge”) and a variable symbol depending on the award category.
The Nobel Peace Prize is the exception: It has a similar design with Nobel’s profile on one side, but on the other the inscription For the sake of the people and their fraternity (“For Rhythm and the Brotherhood of Nations”). The Economics Prize medal lacks an inscription.
Finally The winners receive an official diploma and a variable financial incentive.according to the Nobel Foundation’s income for that year. In 2013, this amount was 10 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately one million Euros. The sum is divided equally in cases where there is more than one winner.