The Nobel Prize is the highest award awarded for achievements in science, inventions and contributions to culture, as well as for the development of society. The tradition of rewarding people for works that contribute to the progress of mankind was introduced on the basis of Nobel's will. So, for what you can get the Nobel Prize, which implies the presentation of not only a commemorative sign, but also a substantial cash prize of more than $1 million. The award is given to specialists in physics, chemistry, literature, economics, medicine, as well as for establishing peace on earth.
How to get a Nobel Prize?
People who were able to make a discovery receive such a world award, and for this it is necessary to go through a certain path. What does it take to win a Nobel Prize:
- You need to start with higher education in the areas that were listed earlier. You will have to complete a master's degree and defend a dissertation.
- Having a Ph.D. or Ph.D. degree, one must make a discovery that will be useful to the whole world. As for literature, the work must be original and stand out among everyone. You should not expect that immediately after that you will be included in the list of applicants, since it usually takes about 30 years from the moment of opening to receiving the award.
- After the discovery is made, you need to work on your popularity, since at least 600 leading experts should know about your work. To do this, you need to participate in various exhibitions, presentations, be published in newspapers and magazines, etc. Fame is needed so that during the survey conducted by the Nobel Committee, professionals in their field mentioned you as a worthy participant.
- After that, the Nobel Committee and the Swedish Academy of Sciences conduct numerous consultations with various experts, and the most worthy applicants are selected from the list received, thanks to a survey. After that, a vote takes place, in which the members of the Nobel Committee participate, which makes it possible to determine the winners. If a person gets on this list, then soon he will receive a notice and can prepare for the Nobel lecture.
Speaking about how to get the Nobel Prize in economics, physics and other sciences, it will be interesting to look into the existing predictions of scientists for the future. For example, in physics in the coming years, one should not expect serious discoveries, since only the strengthening and expansion of the existing theory is taking place. Unfavorable prognosis in chemistry, so, according to the committee, it is no longer possible to make any discoveries. Biology has the greatest prospects for truly brilliant discoveries. Practically all research is carried out in the field of clones and genes.
It will also be interesting to know where the Nobel Prize is awarded and when the ceremony takes place. So, they collect the laureates for awarding on December 10 on the day of Nobel's death in the capital of Sweden at the Royal Academy of Music, but the peace prize is given in the capital of Norway. For several years now, the Peace Prize has been awarded not for what has already been done, 
but for future achievements that improve life.
Why don't mathematicians win the Nobel Prize?
Many are surprised by this fact, but Alfred Nobel himself decided so. There are several versions of why this happened. For example, mathematicians say that the scientist simply forgot to dictate it to the secretary, indicating the list of sciences for which it is worth giving the prize, believing that it goes without saying. Some argue that Alfred excluded mathematics quite consciously, since when creating dynamite, he did not use it, which means that science is completely unnecessary. According to the third version, forgetting about mathematics, Nobel took revenge on his wife's admirer, who was a famous professor of this particular science.
Nobel Prizes- annual international awards named after their founder, Swedish chemical engineer, inventor and industrialist Alfred Bernhard Nobel.
The Nobel Prize is awarded annually for achievements in the following areas of human activity:
- Physics - since 1901, Sweden;
- Chemistry - since 1901, Sweden;
- Medicine and physiology - since 1901, Sweden;
- Literature - since 1901, Sweden;
- Protection of the world - since 1901, Norway.
- Economics - since 1969, Sweden;
Will.
In 1889, a gloomy incident occurred that left a deep mark on Alfred's soul. One of the journalists confused Alfred Nobel with his recently deceased brother Ludwig. In his own obituary, Alfred was called a merchant of death. It is believed that this event prompted Alfred Nobel to decide to leave something more valuable than dynamite after his death.
"I, the undersigned Alfred Bernhard Nobel, having considered and decided, hereby declare my last will in respect of the property acquired by me at the time of my death.
(...)*
* The part of Nobel's will, which lists donations to private individuals, is omitted here.
All realizable property remaining after me must be distributed as follows: the capital of my executors must be converted into securities, creating a fund, interest on which will be issued in the form of a premium to those who during the previous year have brought the greatest benefit to mankind. The indicated percentages should be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: the first part to the one who has made the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics, the second to the one who has made a major discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry, the third to the one who has achieved outstanding success in the fields of physiology or medicine, the fourth - to the one who created the most significant literary work reflecting human ideals, the fifth - to the one who will make a significant contribution to the unity of peoples, the destruction of slavery, the reduction in the number of existing armies and the promotion of a peace agreement. The prizes in physics and chemistry are to be awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in physiology and medicine by the Royal Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, in literature by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, and the peace prize by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian Storting. My particular desire is that the nationality of the candidate should not influence the awarding of prizes, so that the most deserving ones will receive the prize, regardless of whether they are Scandinavians or not.
This will is the last and final will, it is legally valid and cancels all my previous wills, if any are found after my death. Finally, my last obligatory requirement is that after my death a competent doctor unequivocally establish the fact of death, and only after that my body should be burnt. Paris, November 27, 1895, Alfred Bernhard Nobel
Herr Alfred Bernhard Nobel, being of sound mind, voluntarily signed this will, as we all testify in his presence, attaching our signatures to this document:
Sigurd Ehrenborg, retired lieutenant,
R. V. Strehlenert, civil engineer,
Tos Nordenfelt, designer,
Leonard Vass, civil engineer."
Scandal.
After the announcement of the will, a scandal erupted. Litigation followed one another. According to the most conservative estimates, the value of Nobel's property was estimated at 33,233,792 Swedish kronor (about sixty-two million pounds sterling at the current exchange rate), and all this money went to create a fund! The heirs were left with a donut hole - about two million for all. Sheer nonsense, given the number of applicants.
All the property of Alfred Nobel was scattered around the world: a mansion in Nice, a house in Paris, countless workshops, factories and laboratories in Finland, Russia, Germany, Italy, England ... To fulfill the will of the deceased, they hastily put together a whole group of solicitors legs dangled around the world, trying to sell the property without unnecessary bureaucratic delays. The situation was aggravated by the fact that during his lifetime Nobel managed to spoil relations with many governments. In France, for example, the inventor of dynamite was generally considered a military spy. And in Sweden itself, the king publicly condemned him. In addition, the absent-minded Alfred did not even bother to certify his will with a notary, which gave his relatives an excellent reason to sue millions!
Foundation establishment.
4 years after the death of Alfred in 1900, despite all the drinking, the Nobel Foundation was nevertheless created.
The status of the Nobel Foundation and the special rules governing the activities of the awarding institutions were promulgated at a meeting of the Royal Council on June 29, 1900 (after lengthy discussions, during which various members of the organizations mentioned in the will expressed their doubts, citing the vagueness of the wording of the will) . This date can be considered the official birthday of the Foundation.
It is known that the initial capital of the Fund amounted to about 31 million Swedish crowns, which were divided into two parts: the first - about 28 million crowns - became the main fund. With the remaining money for the Nobel Foundation, a building was purchased in which it is still located. The Fund's resources are replenished at the expense of income from investment activities and charitable donations.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded on December 10, 1901. Political union between Sweden and Norway took shape in 1905 after a long debate. for the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dated April 10, 1905.
In 1968, the Swedish Bank, on the occasion of its 300th anniversary, proposed a prize in the field of economics. After some hesitation, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences assumed the role of awarding institution in this field (the Nobel Foundation board then decided not to increase the number of nominations any more), in accordance with the same principles and rules that apply to the original Nobel Prizes. The said prize, which was established in memory of Alfred Nobel, is awarded on December 10, following the presentation of other Nobel laureates. Officially referred to as the Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, it was first awarded in 1969.
Award procedure.
A. Nobel did not leave instructions on how to select scientists for the award. The rules were developed after his death and have remained virtually unchanged ever since.
The prize cannot be awarded jointly to more than three persons (the decision was made in 1968) and can be awarded posthumously only if the applicant was alive at the time of the announcement of the prize (usually in October), but died before 10 December of the current year (the decision was made in 1974).
Prizes are not awarded by the Nobel Foundation itself, but by special Nobel committees for each area, which play a decisive role in the selection process of laureates. Each committee consists of five members, but may seek assistance from experts in other fields of science.
For the selection of candidates for the award in the field of literature, submissions are sent from specialists in the field of literature and linguistics - members of academies and societies. In order to receive proposals for candidates for the Peace Prize, contacts are established with representatives of such sciences as philosophy, history, jurisprudence and political science, as well as with active public figures. Some specialists receive the right to individually nominate a candidate; such persons include former Nobel Prize winners, members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish Academy.
Approved proposals must be received by February 1 of the year of the award. From this day the work of the Nobel committees begins: until September, members of the committees and consultants evaluate the qualifications of candidates for the award. The committees meet several times, hearing suggestions from various committee members and outside experts. Every year, several thousand specialists participate in the preparatory work.
When the preliminary work is completed, the committee approves its reports and recommendations (remaining secret for the time being) on the respective candidates and submits them to the awarding authorities, who must alone make the final decision.
From September or early October, the Nobel committees are ready for further work. In the fields of physics, chemistry and economic sciences they confirm their reports to the respective "classes" of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, each with about 25 members. The classes then send their recommendations to the academy for a final decision.
Procedure for awarding the prize in the field of physiology and medicine similar, except that the recommendation of the Nobel Committee is sent directly to the Nobel Assembly (with 50 members) of the Karolinska Institute.
When deciding the fate of the award in the field of literature The 18 members of the Swedish Academy make a decision based on the proposal of the Nobel Committee.
Decision to award the Peace Prize carried out by the Norwegian Nobel Committee independently.
In October, the final elections of candidates take place in the various assemblies. The winners are finally approved and announced to the whole world during a press conference in Stockholm, which is attended by representatives of all major news agencies. The reasons for the award are also summarized. Press conferences are usually attended by experts from various fields of science and technology, who can provide a more complete explanation of the achievements of the laureates and the significance of their contribution to global progress. Subsequently, the Nobel Foundation invites the laureates and their families to Stockholm and Oslo on 10 December.
Prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, literature and economics are presented in Copenhagen in the Concert Hall by the King of Sweden, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo in the presence of the King of Norway and members of the royal family.
The award includes a gold medal, a diploma and a monetary reward. The laureates present the Nobel Lectures published in the special edition "Nobel Laureates".
As soon as the awarding of the current year's laureates ends in December, preparations begin for the election of next year's candidates.
Curiosities of the Nobel Prizes.
The archives also show that the Nobel Committee repeatedly postponed the award of the Albert Einstein Prize for the Theory of Relativity. Committee member A. Gullstrand, laureate of the Physiology or Medicine Prize in 1911, believed that the theory of relativity would not stand the test of time. And a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Committee for Physics, B. Hasselberg, protesting against the award of the Einstein Prize for the general theory of relativity, wrote in 1921: "It is extremely unlikely that Nobel meant such speculations as this." As a result, the academy postponed the award altogether that year. The next year, a young member of the academy K.V. Oseen nevertheless proposed to award the 1921 prize to Einstein, but not for the theory of relativity, but for the discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, which was proved experimentally.
In some cases, decisions to award prizes were erroneous. So, in 1949, the Portuguese neurosurgeon A.E. received the prize in physiology or medicine. Monitz for the brain surgery he developed in 1935 (prefrontal lobotomy). However, many doctors believed that it does more harm than good. The Portuguese government banned this operation, and then it was abandoned in other countries.
S. Jarlskog, who headed the Nobel Committee in Physics until 1999, believes that candidates that really deserve the award of the prize differ from random ones in that they are nominated from year to year. "It's better to be slow in awarding prizes than to make a mistake," she says. "However, because of the rule against posthumous awards, even an obvious candidate must be in good health to wait for the award."
The rule prohibiting the awarding of a prize in one field of science to more than three scientists at the same time is subjected to particular criticism. Particularly heated debate flared up three years ago, when the Nobel Prize for research on the regulatory role of nitric oxide in the cardiovascular system was awarded to three scientists from the United States - F. Murad, R. Ferchgott and L. Ignarro. However, no less significant contribution to the study of the biological role of nitric oxide was made by A.F. Vanin (Russia) and S. Moncada, director of the Institute for Biomedical Research at the University of London, did not receive the prize.
In preparing the article, materials from the sites were used:
The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious scientific award in the world. It is dreamed of by scientists from various fields. Knowing about the latest achievements of mankind, marked by this award, is worth every educated person. How did it appear and in what areas of science can it be obtained?
What it is?
The annual award is named after the Swedish engineer, industrialist and inventor. Alfred Bernhard Nobel was its founder. In addition, he owns a fund from which money is allocated for holding. The history of the Nobel Prize begins in the twentieth century. Since 1901, a special commission determines the winners in such categories as physics, medicine and physiology, chemistry, literature and peace protection. In 1969, a new science was added to the list. Since then, the commission also recognizes the best specialist in the field of economics. Perhaps in the future there will be new categories, but at the moment there is no discussion of such an event.
How did the award come about?
The history of the Nobel Prize is very interesting. It is connected with a very dark incident in the life of its founder. As you know, Alfred Nobel was When in 1889 his brother Ludwig died, a journalist from one of the newspapers mixed up and indicated in Alfred's obituary. The text called him a merchant of death. Alfred Nobel was horrified at the prospect of remaining in the memory of mankind in such a capacity. He began to think about what he could leave behind, and composed a special will. With his help, he hoped to fix the situation with dynamite.
Testament of Alfred Nobel
The landmark text was coined and signed in 1895 in Paris. According to the will, the executors must exchange all the property remaining after him for securities, on the basis of which the fund will be created. Interest from the resulting capital will go to awards for scientists who have brought the maximum benefit to mankind. They must be divided into five parts: one for the one who discovered or invented something new in the field of physics, the other for the most talented chemist, the third is for the best doctor, the fourth for the creator of the main literary work of the year dedicated to human ideals, and the fifth - for someone who can help bring peace to the planet, fighting for the reduction of armies, the destruction of slavery and the friendship of peoples. According to the will, Nobel Prize winners in the first two categories are determined by the Swedish Sciences. In medicine, the choice is made by the Royal Karolinska Institute, the literary one is chosen by the Swedish Academy, and the last one is chosen by a committee of five people. They are elected by the Norwegian Storting.
Award sizes
Since the premium is determined by the percentage of the capital invested by the Nobil, its size varies. Initially, it was provided in crowns, the first amount was 150 thousand. Now the size of the Nobel Prize has grown significantly and is issued in US dollars. In recent years, it has been about a million. As soon as the money in the fund runs out, the bonus will also disappear. The Nobel prize was originally almost 32 million Swedish kronor, therefore, taking into account successful investments, all these years it has only increased. However, in recent years, interest has not allowed a positive budget to be achieved - the costs of the prize, the holding of the ceremony and the maintenance of the administration are too high. A few years ago, it was decided to reduce the size of the Nobel Prize in order to ensure the stability of the fund in the long term. The administration is doing everything possible to support it as long as possible.
family scandal
If history had gone differently, this award might never have been born. The Nobel sum turned out to be so large that the relatives could not come to terms with its loss. After the death of the inventor, one of the others began litigation, in which attempts were made to challenge the will. Nobel owned a mansion in Nice and a house in Paris, laboratories in Russia, Finland, Italy, Germany and England, many workshops and factories. All the heirs wanted to share among themselves. However, the Storting decided to recognize the will. Solicitors of the deceased sold his property, the time and size of the Nobel Prize were approved. Relatives got the amount of two million.
Foundation establishment
The Nobel Prize, the history of which began with a scandal, was first awarded only to the Royal Council held a meeting on June 29, 1900, at which all the details were considered and the official fund was approved. Part of the money was used to purchase the building in which it is located. In December 1901, the first presentation event was held. The size of the Nobel Prize of one hundred and fifty thousand was the first and most modest. In 1968, the Swedish Bank offered to nominate specialists in the field of economics. for this area are selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It was first awarded in 1969.
Ceremony Rules
The will indicated only the size of the Nobel Prize and science, for achievements in which scientists should be noted. The rules for conducting and choosing had to be drawn up by the administration of the fund. They were developed at the beginning of the twentieth century and have remained virtually unchanged since then. According to the rules, the award can be awarded to several people, but there cannot be more than three. If the applicant died at the time of the December ceremony, but was alive at the announcement of the nominations in October, he will receive the amount posthumously. The Nobel Foundation does not award prizes, entrusting it to special committees for each direction. Their members can seek help from scientists from different scientific fields. The award in the field of literature is given by the best specialists in linguistics. The laureate in the nomination of the world is chosen with the advice of scientists in the field of philosophy, jurisprudence, political sciences, history, is invited for discussion. Sometimes a specialist can personally suggest a candidate. This right belongs to the laureates of previous years and a member of the Swedish Academies of Sciences. All nominations are approved by February 1 of the year in which the award will be held. Until September, each proposal is evaluated and discussed. Thousands of specialists can participate in the process. When the preparation is over, the committees send the approved nominations to the official bodies where the Nobel Prize scientists work, who will make the final decision. In the field of physics, chemistry and economic sciences, the main groups are representatives of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, each of which has twenty-five people. Fifty participants from the Karolinska Institute practice medicine. Literature - eighteen scientists from the Swedish Academy. The Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In October, the final statement is adopted and announced at a press conference in Stockholm to the whole world, accompanied by comments on the reasons for each decision. By December 10, laureates and members of their families are invited to the solemn ceremony.
Nobel Prize. Only the deaf have not heard of it. The most honorable reward for the luminaries of science, culture and art. This is a kind of Oscar, but not for those who shine on the big screen, but for those who reveal the secrets of nature in a small room or write a literary masterpiece.
However, how much is this gratitude expressed today? In this article, we will figure out how much money they give for the Nobel Prize, for example, in 2015 or 2016, and why the amount used to constantly vary, but now it has received its own standard. And so, let's go.
History of the award
As is usually the case, we'll start with history, in this case the history of how the award was born.
The award itself bears its name in honor of the Swedish inventor, engineer and industrialist Alfred Bernhard Nobel. In addition to the fact that the monetary reward bears his name, the money for this is also allocated from his fund.
The ceremony dates back to 1901, since then a special commission has determined the best in the field of medicine, chemistry, physiology, literature, physics and the protection of the world. Since 1969, the economy has been added to this list. It is not known whether we should expect another expansion of the list, but in any case, there is no discussion at the official level about this.
The appearance of the award
Here, in general, you can retell almost the legend about this case. Her appearance is usually associated with one tragic situation that occurred in the life of Alfred Nobel.
As you know, he is considered the inventor of dynamite, and so, in 1889, due to negligence, his brother Ludwig died suddenly, after which a negligent journalist mentioned Alfred as a death dealer. Of course, he did not like it, and he absolutely did not want to die, leaving such a terrible memory of himself.
Therefore, he decided to clean up his karma, so to speak, and in his will asked to sell all his, by the way, not small property, but to buy securities with the money received, with the help of which the fund was founded. Those percentages that remained after the initial capital, the scientist obliged to distribute among the top five specialists in their field (I have already described the nominations above).
Reward size
Well, here we come to the main question. At the very beginning, it was difficult to determine the exact amount of payments, since it directly depended on the accumulated interest. However, it is safe to say that the first payment was 150 thousand Swiss crowns.
Since then, its amount has only increased and reached a million and a half dollars. However, as it turned out, in recent years, interest has not been enough for the ceremony, the maintenance of the administration and the award itself. That is, the balance went negative. And if the fund goes bankrupt, then there will be no bonus.
Therefore, it was decided to fix the amount of the payment at the level of 1.1 million dollars, so that the premium would be paid as long as possible, and maybe indefinitely. How much is it in rubles is easy to calculate.
Do you know that thanks to Nobel's relatives, there might not have been a prize at all. Since they were not very satisfied with the last wish of the inventor, they decided through the court to challenge his will and divide all the property that he owned among themselves. Fortunately for the future scientists and cultural figures, they did not succeed, although each received 2 million crowns after the proceedings.
Such is the case, friends. Let's not forget this glorious man who passed away not as a merchant of death, but as a worthy person and philanthropist. Let us wish the Foundation many years of existence, so that not a single outstanding person, including in Russia, is deprived of a prize for success in his field.
All the best to you!
December 10, the day of death Alfred Nobel The Nobel Prize will be awarded at the Stockholm Philharmonic. Each laureate will receive King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden a gold medal with a portrait of the founder of the award and a diploma. The amount of the monetary component of the award this year, as in the previous three years, reaches 8 million kroons (about 59 million rubles).
Who is up for the award this year?
Until the last moment, the Nobel committees do not report anything about the applicants for the prize themselves, or about those who nominated them, and experts are trying to make assumptions about the names kept secret.
Each year, Thomson Reuters attempts to predict who will win awards based on the citation rankings of researchers.
- Physics
In the field of physics, an award can be given for the experimental detection of gravitational waves. Among the main contenders for the prize are three physicists: Rainer Weiss, professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ronald Drever, Scottish physicist, specialist in the field of lasers, and Kip Thorne, physicist and astronomer, recognized in the world as an expert in the field of general relativity.
According to the Thomson Reuters citation count, two more teams of scientists claiming the Nobel Prize in Physics are named. So, a possible candidate named professor Marvin Cohen for the study of the properties of solids, mathematical methods for calculating their properties, and especially for the empirical method of pseudopotentials. Also among the possible candidates are Celso Grebogi, Edward Ott and James York for contributions to the theory of control of chaotic systems. The OGY method developed by them has found wide application in studying the behavior of chaotic systems in mechanics, laser physics, radiophysics, chemistry, biology, and medicine.
Eligible for the Chemistry Prize George Church and Feng Jang who managed to edit the genomes of mice and humans using a system responsible for the production of acquired immunity in bacteria. It turned out to be possible to use the system for editing the genes of animals and humans, in particular, for removing HIV from infected T-lymphocytes.
In addition to them, the reward can count Dennis Lo, who developed a way to detect fetal extracellular DNA in maternal plasma, which would help diagnose certain genetic diseases, and X Iroshi Maeda with Yasuhiro Matsumura who discovered the effect of increased permeability and retention for macromolecular drugs.
- Economy
Among the likely candidates for the award is Edward Lazier for his work in the field of workforce economics, which relates to the development of new models of employee motivation, career development and labor productivity, as well as Olivier Blanchard for contributions to macroeconomics and the study of factors that determine economic instability and employment.
Named third candidate Mark Melitz for his research on the heterogeneity (heterogeneity) of firms in international trade.
- Peace Prize
Eligible for the Peace Prize former US intelligence agent Edward Snowden and Pope Francis.
How many people have received the Nobel Prize since its inception?
Since 1901, 881 individuals and 23 organizations have received the award. It was not awarded during the First and Second World Wars. The United States is the leader in terms of the number of laureates (359 people), the UK is in second place (121 people), and Germany is in third place (104 people). Russia has 27 laureates.
Voluntarily waived French award writer Jean-Paul Sartre and Vietnamese Le Duc Tho politician. Forcibly, three did not receive it. Adolf Gitler banned chemist Richard Kuhn, biochemist Adolf Butenandt and bacteriologist Gerhard Domagk accept the award, and the Soviet writer Boris Pasternak at first he agreed to accept the award, but then, under pressure from the authorities, he refused.
