Stockholm, Oct 13 (AP) The conclusion of this year's Nobel awards comes with the announcement on Monday that three laureates will share the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for their insight into innovation-driven growth.
All Nobel prizes, except the Nobel Peace Prize, are revealed in Stockholm, while the Peace Prize is announced in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. These awards will be presented on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, who established the prizes.
Here are this year's laureates:
Medicine
On October 6, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was given to three scientists for their groundbreaking research on the immune system. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi identified a significant pathway that regulates the immune system, pivotal in understanding autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
Through separate projects, the trio uncovered the importance of regulatory T cells. Their research has wide-ranging applications: from developing better treatments for autoimmune diseases to improving organ transplant success and enhancing the body’s fight against cancer.
Brunkow, 64, is a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. Ramsdell, also 64, serves as a scientific adviser at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco. Sakaguchi, 74, is a distinguished professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University in Japan.
Physics
On October 7, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to another trio of scientists for their studies on the “weirdness” of subatomic particles, known as quantum tunneling. Their work has enormously influenced the ultrasensitive measurements in MRI machines and laid the foundations for advanced cellphones and faster computers.
John Clarke, Michel H Devoret, and John M. Martinis explored the peculiarities of the subatomic realm—where light can act as both wave and particle, and parts of atoms can tunnel through apparently solid barriers—and applied this in the physics of digital devices. Their findings are just beginning to make their mark on advanced technology, with the potential to revolutionize supercharged computing.
Clarke, 83, conducted research at the University of California, Berkeley; Martinis, 67, worked at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Devoret, 72, is both at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Clarke led the project.
Chemistry
On October 8, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to a trio for their creation of new molecular structures capable of trapping large quantities of gases. This innovation might help in reducing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or retrieving moisture from arid regions.
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi’s work is described as potentially addressing some of humanity’s most significant issues. Kitagawa, 74, is affiliated with Kyoto University in Japan, Robson, 88, is with the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Yaghi, 60, is at the University of California, Berkeley.
Literature
On October 9, Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai won the Nobel Prize in Literature for writing that exemplifies the power of art amidst “apocalyptic terror.” His surreal and anarchic novels weave a grim worldview with sharp humor.
Krasznahorkai, 71, is the author of over 20 books, including “The Melancholy of Resistance”—a surreal tale of a traveling circus with a stuffed whale—and “Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming,” portraying the saga of a gambling-addicted aristocrat.
An outspoken critic of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Krasznahorkai has been particularly vocal about the government's inadequate support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Peace
On October 10, María Corina Machado from Venezuela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for being a “key, unifying figure” in a previously fragmented political opposition. Machado, who turned 58 this week, was prepared to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s election, but her candidacy was annulled by the government.
The lead-up to the election witnessed widespread repression, including disqualifications, arrests, and violations of human rights. Machado has been in hiding since January, raising doubts about her presence at the awards ceremony in Stockholm in December.
She becomes the 20th woman among 112 individuals to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Economics
On October 13, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for their work on innovation’s impact on economic growth and understanding "creative destruction," where new technologies supplant the old.
Mokyr, an economic historian, studied long-term trends using historical data, while Aghion and Howitt relied on mathematical models to elucidate creative destruction. Their diverse but complementary approaches have advanced the understanding of economic dynamics. Mokyr, 79, is originally from Northwestern University, Aghion, 69, is associated with both the Collège de France and the London School of Economics, and Howitt, 79, is from Brown University. (AP) ZH ZH
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