Stockholm, September 30, 2023 – As fall blankets Scandinavia, the Nobel Prize season is once again upon us. The month of October marks the time when Nobel committees convene in Stockholm and Oslo to reveal the recipients of these prestigious annual awards.
Traditionally, the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology takes the lead and will be announced on Monday by a panel of judges at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Subsequently, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economics will be unveiled one by one, with daily announcements continuing until October 9.
Here are some essential things to know about the Nobel Prizes:
An Explosive Origin
The Nobel Prizes owe their existence to Alfred Nobel, a 19th-century Swedish businessman and chemist. Notably, Nobel’s fame before the creation of the Nobel Prizes stemmed from his invention of dynamite. This explosive invention, a mixture of nitroglycerine and a stabilizing compound, found widespread use in construction, mining, and the weapons industry, catapulting Nobel to immense wealth. Toward the end of his life, he decided to utilize his fortune to establish annual awards for those who had made the most significant contributions to humanity in the preceding year.
The inaugural Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, five years after Alfred Nobel’s passing. In 1968, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was introduced by the Central Bank of Sweden. While technically distinct from the original Nobel Prizes, the economics prize is always presented alongside the others.
Peace in Norway
Interestingly, Alfred Nobel determined that the Nobel Peace Prize should be conferred in Norway, with all other prizes remaining in Sweden. Some historians speculate that Nobel’s decision may have been influenced by Sweden’s history of militarism. During Nobel’s lifetime, Sweden and Norway were in a union, with Norway reluctantly joining after Swedish invasion in 1814. Nobel may have believed that Norway, a nation more focused on promoting “fellowship among nations,” was a more suitable location for the peace prize.
Even today, the Nobel Peace Prize stands apart as a Norwegian affair, with a dedicated ceremony held in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. In contrast, the other prizes are presented in Stockholm.
Politics and the Nobel Prizes
While the Nobel Prizes aspire to be impartial and dedicated solely to humanity’s benefit, they have faced accusations of political bias, particularly regarding the Peace and Literature awards. Critics have questioned whether laureates are selected primarily based on the excellence of their work or because it aligns with the political leanings of the judges.
Notably, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, responsible for the Peace Prize, consists of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. To maintain independence from Norway’s political system, members of the Norwegian government or Parliament are prohibited from serving on the committee. Despite these safeguards, foreign countries sometimes view the committee as politically influenced, as seen when China froze trade talks with Norway after the awarding of the Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010.
Gold, Glory, and Generosity
One of the reasons the Nobel Prizes are so esteemed is the substantial cash reward. In 2023, the Nobel Foundation increased the prize money by 10% to 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1 million). Alongside the monetary award, Nobel laureates receive an 18-carat gold medal and diploma during the award ceremonies held in December.
While most winners are proud to join the ranks of Nobel laureates, two notable figures declined their Nobel Prizes: French writer Jean-Paul Sartre, who rejected the Literature Prize in 1964, and Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho, who declined the Peace Prize meant to be shared with U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger in 1973. Others, like Belarusian pro-democracy activist Ales Bialiatski, were unable to collect their awards due to imprisonment.
Diversity Challenges
Throughout its history, the Nobel Prizes have predominantly been awarded to white men. While progress has been made, particularly in increasing the number of female laureates, diversity remains a concern, particularly in the scientific categories.
Of the Nobel Prize winners to date, only 60 have been women, with a mere four women winning the Nobel Prize in Physics and two in Economics. Critics argue that judges must do more to highlight the achievements of women and scientists from regions outside Europe and North America.
The Nobel Prize committees maintain that their selections are based solely on scientific merit, without regard to gender, nationality, or race. Nonetheless, they acknowledge the importance of addressing these concerns and have taken steps to ensure inclusivity in the nomination process.
As Nobel Prize announcements commence, the world watches in anticipation to honor those individuals whose contributions continue to shape the course of humanity.
