Image copyright SPL Why Alfred Nobel bequeathed his fortune to promote scientific discoveries?
November 27, 1895 the Swedish chemist and engineer, the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel signed his will, which stated the following: “The remaining part of his fortune, I want to order as follows: executing my will should invest in safer securities. They amount to the fund, the interest from which will be distributed as a bonus to those who in the previous year made a scientific discovery that will bring the greatest benefit to mankind … “
The inventor of dynamite, Nobel lifetime welcomed the ideas of pacifism.
In 1888, Alfred’s brother Ludwig died in Cannes. One French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary on the inventor under the headline: “Le marchand de la mort est mort” – “Merchant of Death is dead.” Nobel was deeply shocked. He did not want to remain in the memory of mankind as the inventor of the deadly explosives.
What kind of amount involved?
At the time of the death of Alfred Nobel, the premium was more than 31 million Swedish kronor. At present the Fund’s capital Nobel Prizes valued at approximately $ 500 million the United States.
When was awarded the first Nobel Prize?
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. Nobel allocated to the prize pool 94% of his fortune. His the will was contested by family members and was later approved by the Swedish government.
How many people have won the Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prize awarded 567 times. However, a few times it got more than one nominee. Total winners were 860 people and 22 organizations.
Were there years when the Nobel Prize was not awarded?
There were. Since 1901 the Nobel Prize was not awarded 49 times. Most of the prizes are not awarded falls on the First (1914-1918) and Second (1939-1945) World Wars. In addition, the statute of Nobel Prizes Foundation says that if “… none of the works does not have sufficient importance, the prize money should be postponed until next year. If the second consecutive year, will not be worthy of discovery, the funds placed at the disposal Fund “.
What are the areas most commonly awarded the Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prize in Physics is most often awarded for discoveries in the field of elementary particle physics, in chemistry – for discoveries in biochemistry, medicine – in genetics, in economics – macroeconomics, and literature – for prose.
Scientists from what often became Nobel laureates?
In the first place – the United States with 257 laureates. On the second – the United Kingdom with 93, and the third – Germany with 80. Russia has 27 laureates. According to the rules of the Nobel committee were not included people, for example, born in Russia or the Soviet Union, but made a discovery in another country. Or a writer who wrote in Russian, but the former by the time the citizens of other countries, such as Ivan Bunin in 1933 or Joseph Brodsky – in 1987.
And at what age are Nobel Prize winners?
At the very different: the youngest winner was last year, Malala Yousafzai. She received the Peace Prize at the age of 17 years. The oldest was the 90-year-old Leonid Hurwicz, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2007.
Are there any among the winners of the woman?
Yes, although they and a minority. Number of women received the award 47 times. And only one of them – Marie Curie – won it twice: once for physics, the other – in chemistry. So all Nobel laureates became 46 women.
Was it that the Nobel Prize refused to voluntarily?
Of course. But only twice: French writer Jean-Paul Sartre refused the prize for literature in 1964, because it did not recognize the official awards. A Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho refused the Peace Prize in 1973, saying he did not think it possible to accept it because of the situation in the country.
A forced?
It was and is. Adolf Hitler forbade three scientists: chemist Richard Kuhn, Adolf Butenandt biochemist and bacteriologist Gerhard Domagk to accept the prize. Later, they were able to get medals and diplomas, but no prize money.
The Soviet poet and writer Boris Pasternak, first agreed to accept the Nobel Prize, but then, under pressure from the government, rejected it.
A posthumously?
Well, yes and no. Status of the Nobel Foundation determines that the prize can be awarded only living person. However, if at the time of announcement of the results, he was still alive, and to the direct awarding of bonuses is dead, then he is still considered to be a Nobel laureate. In 2011, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Ralph Shteynmanu. After the announcement of the results revealed that he had already been dead for three days. After the meeting of the Board of the Nobel Committee, it was decided to leave it in the list of laureates, because the Nobel Committee of the Royal Karolinska Institutet did not know about his death at the time of the decision.
A family of Nobel Prize been?
And how! And the greatest contribution to this little family has made a list of Joliot-Curie. From it came the following family laureates: two couples: Marie and Pierre Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie and Frederic Joliot, mother and daughter: Marie Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie and dad with daughter Pierre Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie.
Why is there no Nobel Prize for mathematics?
And here we enter the realm of speculation. Himself Nobel in his will stated that selecting the appropriate discipline “after a balanced and thoughtful analysis.” However, the course of his thoughts he carried to the grave.
The version that, excluding mathematics, he thus avenged his wife’s lover, is just representative of the science, it does not hold water, because Alfred Nobel was never Single.
The most likely hypothesis is that the Nobel insisted that the discovery “should benefit mankind,” and pure mathematics and remains pure mathematics, an exercise for the mind, by her common man neither hot nor cold. Well, what the majority of the world’s population difference, proved Fermat’s last theorem, or not?
Math is annexed to physics, chemistry or economics awarded according to these disciplines.
A biology?
Again, medicine. Or chemistry. Possible interpretations.
Source: website of the Nobel Committee
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