Five Points About the Nobel Prizes

In mid-October each year, the Nobel Committee, based in Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway), announces the results of a year-long search for the world's best in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, economics, literature, and peace over the course of a week. Each prize amounts to about eight million Swedish kronor, awarded during a special ceremony in early September (late December) along with a diploma of honor to the winner or winners. On this occasion, the Associated Press has published a list of things to know about the Nobel Prize: Who founded the Nobel Prize? The prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace were established by Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, and were first awarded in 1901, five years after the death of this wealthy Swedish industrialist. The economics prize, officially called the 'Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel,' was established by this bank in 1968. Although the selection of the economics prize winner is similar to that of the other Nobel categories, it differs slightly from the original Nobel. Confidentiality of discussions about nominees and winners: The Nobel statutes prohibit any discussion regarding the deliberations of the judges for fifty years. Although the judges strive to keep any information about the discussions from leaking out, sometimes hints are dropped that reveal the winners. For example, last year, in the weeks leading up to the Nobel awards, the name Patrick Modiano - the French writer and the final winner of this prize in 2014 - suddenly became hot news. The Nobel Committee accused a former secretary of the committee of leaking this information. Who can be nominated for this prize? Thousands of people from around the world are eligible to nominate candidates in various fields to the Nobel Committee. These individuals include university professors, lawmakers, previous winners, and members of the Nobel Committee. Although the names of nominees must remain confidential for fifty years, sometimes individuals make their proposed nominees public - especially for the peace prize. This is why we know, for example, that Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, Pope Francis, the leader of Catholics worldwide, Edward Snowden, a former employee of the U.S. National Security Agency who revealed the government's phone tapping, and Raif Badawi, a imprisoned Saudi blogger, have all been nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Alfred Nobel's wishes, the peace prize is awarded in Norway, while the other prizes are presented in Sweden. The reason for this wish is unclear. However, during Nobel's lifetime, Sweden and Norway were united, a union that ended in 1905. Sometimes the relationship between the founder of the Nobel Prize, which provides the prize money and is located in Sweden, and the committee that selects the peace prize winner, which is located in Norway and claims to be independent of any politics or money, becomes strained. Patience! To win the Nobel Prize, one must first be patient. Scientists often have to wait years for their work and research to be recognized by the Nobel judges because they want to be sure of the effects and results of their discoveries. Alfred Nobel stated in his will that the prize should go to those whose work has the greatest benefit for humanity. The peace prize is the only award given to someone who has made significant achievements regarding global peace and the improvement of the status of humans and countries on Earth.