Nobelprize.org
All 2015 Nobel Laureates. Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media AB 2015.
Alfred Nobel. © Nobel Media AB. Photo: A. Mahmoud

Alfred Nobel. © Nobel Media AB. Photo: A. Mahmoud

182nd Anniversary of Alfred Nobel

On 21 October 1833, Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in Russia, studied chemistry and technology in France and the U.S., and established the Nobel Prizes - for the greatest benefit to mankind.

Learn more about Alfred Nobel
Medicine Lauretaes John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser. Photo: A. Mahmoud. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2015.

Listen to Nobel Laureates

Meet the Laureates and get insights into what gives them their drive and creativity. Discover what future challenges they are passionate about, and what it is really like being awarded the Nobel Prize. There are 29 episodes to explore.

Nobel Prize Talks Podcast
Map

Information for the Press


The Nobel Week 2015 – Information for media
15 October 2015

More news and press releases from the Nobel Foundation and Nobel Media

2015 Physics Prize

Neutrinos. Illustration: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Ill: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

2015 Nobel Prize in Physics

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2015 was awarded jointly to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald "for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass".

Read more about the prize
Takaaki Kajita

Takaaki Kajita: "Kind of Unbelievable!"

An interview with Takaaki Kajita immediately following the announcement of the Physics Prize. Hear how he reacted when he got the call that he has been awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Interview and transcript
William C. Campbell

"I Gave My Wife a Hug!"

"It's ironic, in order to observe the sun you have to go kilometers under ground. That's not what you would expect." says Arthur B. McDonald, awarded the 2015 Physics Prize.

Interview and transcript
Professor Olga Botner in interview

"A Fundamental Discovery in Physics"

The discovery that neutrinos are not massless makes a difference, says Professor Olga Botner, Member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, when interviewed about the importance of this year's Nobel Prize in Physics.

Watch the interview

2015 Chemistry Prize

DNA. Ill: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Ill: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 was awarded jointly to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar "for mechanistic studies of DNA repair".

Read more
Tomas Lindahl. Photo: Cancer Research UK Tomas Lindahl. Photo: Cancer Research UK

I Feel Very Lucky and Privileged"

"I'm not a politician. I’m not used to talk on two phones at the same time." Life is getting busy for Tomas Lindahl, awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In this short interview, Tomas Lindahl also talks about his research and early days in Sweden.

Interview and transcript
Paul Modrich. Photo: K. Wolf/AP Images for HHMI Paul Modrich. Photo: K. Wolf/AP Images for HHMI

"Shock. Surprise. Excitement"

Paul Modrich was on vacation in his little cabin in the woods in New Hampshire when he got the news through e-mail that he had been awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. "I’m in the right place at the right time."

Interview and transcript
Aziz Sancar. Photo: M. Englund, UNC-School of Medicine Aziz Sancar. Photo: M. Englund, UNC-School of Medicine

Aziz Sancar: "I'm Honored to Get this Recognition"

"My wife took the call and woke me up". Chemistry Laureate Aziz Sancar on being awarded the Nobel Prize.

Interview and transcript

2015 Medicine Prize

2015 Medicine Laureates

2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 was awarded with one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the other half to Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.

Read more
William C. Campbell

William C. Campbell: "You Must Be Kidding!"

Listen to an interview with William C. Campbell, one of the three new Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine. He was asleep when he got the prize call.

Interview and transcript
Satoshi Ōmura

Satoshi Ōmura: "I Humbly Accept It"

An interview with Satoshi Ōmura on golf, great scientists, and being awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Interview and transcript
Youyou Tu

Youyou Tu: "Good News for the National Holiday!"

Listen to a short interview with Youyou Tu following the announcement of the 2015 Medicine Prize (Chinese and English).

Interview and transcript

2015 Literature Prize

Svetlana Alexievich. Photo: Margarita Kabakova/Ersatz AB. Photo: Margarita Kabakova/Ersatz AB.

2015 Nobel Prize in Literature

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2015 is awarded to the Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich "for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time".

Press release

Bio-biographical information


"The Poetics of Tragedy Are Important for Me"

Interview with Svetlana Alexievich, awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature, while the taxi waited outside to take her to the press conference.

Transcript of the interview
Book

"There Was a Black Cloud, and Hard Rain"

Not familiar with Svetlana Alexievich's work? Here, you can read an excerpt from her book Voices from Chernobyl.

Read the excerpt
World map

6th Literature Laureate Writing in Russian

Svetlana Alexievich writes in Russian. Most common languages for the Literature Laureates:

Se the full list

2015 Nobel Peace Prize

Olive branch

2015 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. 

Press release
Sound icon

"We Did It Together, the Four of Us"

Listen to telephone interviews with the four representatives for the awarded key organizations in the National Dialogue Quartet.

Interviews and transcripts
Kaci Kullmann Five in interview

"They Saw the Need to Act as One"

After the announcement of the Prace Prize, Kaci Kullmann Five of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, was interviewed about the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.

Watch the video interview
Hands

The Nobel Peace Prize

More Peace Prize facts

2015 Prize in Economic Sciences

Angus Deaton. Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media AB 2015. Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media AB 2015.

2015 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2015 was awarded to Angus Deaton "for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare".

Press release

"You Have to Understand what Makes People Tick"

Angus Deaton on being awarded the 2015 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

Transcript of the interview
Jakob Svensson, Member of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

"As A Policy Maker, You Have A Lot to Learn from this Research"

Jakob Svensson, Member of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, answers question about this year's Prize.

Video interview
Angus Deaton. Ill: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Ill: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Consumption, Great and Small

The consumption of goods and services is a fundamental part of people’s welfare. This year's Laureate in Economic Sciences, Angus Deaton, has deepened our understanding of different aspects of consumption.

Read more in the Popular Science Background (pdf)

On Being Awarded the Nobel Prize

Muhammad Yunus

"Immediately the whole country was electrified"
Muhammad Yunus, Peace 2006

Barry Marshall

"Robin and I often have a beer down by the riverside"
Barry Marshall, Medicine 2005

Elizabeth Blackburn

"Did you think we murdered somebody?"
Elizabeth Blackburn, Medicine 2009

Hiroshi Amano

"I didn't understand the reason of all congratulations"
Hiroshi Amano, Physics 2014

Jerome Karle

"The president of the USA called me up"
Jerome Karle, Chemistry 1985

Mairead Corrigan

"I really felt very frightened, I didn't know how to cope"
Mairead Corrigan, Peace 1976

Wole Soyinka

"It really made life virtually impossible"
Wole Soyinka, Literature 1986

Amartya Sen

"I needed a cup of coffee"
Amartya Sen, Economic Sciences 1998

Alfred Nobel - The Man behind the Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel

Scientist and Inventor

Chemist, engineer and industrialist Alfred Nobel left 31 million SEK (today about 265 million dollar) to fund the Nobel Prizes.

Alfred Nobel's life and work
Dynamite logotype

Inventor of Dynamite

An entirely new industry grew up, based on Alfred Nobel's patents and with Alfred as the initiator.

Alfred Nobel's dynamite companies
Will of Alfred Nobel

A Controversial Will

In his will of 27 November 1895 signed in Paris, Alfred Nobel specified that the bulk of his fortune should be used for prizes.

Excerpt of Alfred Nobel's will
Quiz logotype

Alfred Nobel Quiz

How much do you know about the founder of the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel?

Try the quiz

Nobel Laureates Facts

William E. Moerner receiving his Nobel Prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2014. Photo: Niklas Elmehed

All Nobel Prizes

See all the Nobel Laureates and why they were awarded the Nobel Prize.

All Nobel Prizes


Malala Yousafzai

Nobel Prizes to Women

See the list of all Nobel Prize awarded women.

Nobel Prize awarded women


Jean-Paul Sartre

Two Declined

Jean-Paul Sartre and Le Duc Tho both declined the Nobel Prize.

More about the Literature Prize to Jean-Paul Sartre
More about Le Duc Tho
May-Britt and Edvard I. Moser on stage after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2014. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

Nobel Prize Awarded Couples

Five married couples have been awarded Nobel Prizes.

Read more

Nobel Prize Nominations

Nobel Laureates

Who Deserves a Nobel Prize?

Alfred Nobel wanted most of his fortune to be used for prizes to award those who had "conferred the greatest benefit to mankind". See who Nobelprize.org's visitors thought were worthy of a Nobel Prize.

Read the suggestions
Map

Who Can Nominate for A Nobel Prize?

No person can nominate herself/himself for a Nobel Prize. But who can? And how are these persons chosen?

Read more about how the Nobel Laureates are nominated
Archive files

Explore the Nomination Archive

Search among the names of the nominees and nominators, as well as additional information about the nominations 1901-1964.

Search in the archive
Map

Nominators, Nominees and Laureates

Here you can discover the individuals who have nominated others for a Nobel Prize, those who were nominated for a Nobel Prize and those who later became Nobel Laureates.

Explore the map

Nobel Center: A Place to Visit All Year Around

The Nobel Center will be the home for the Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. Here the architect of the Nobel Center, David Chipperfield, explains how the building will be used all year around. The Center is expected to open in 2019.

Read more about the Nobel Center


Franz Welser-Möst conducting. Credit: Roger Mastroianni. Franz Welser-Möst conducting. Credit: Roger Mastroianni.

Franz Welser-Möst Conductor at the Nobel Prize Concert 2015

One of today's most celebrated conductors, Franz Welser-Möst, will lead the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the concert. Soloist is the young pianist Daniil Trifonov. Tickets are now on sale at Konserthuset.se.

More about the concert

Educational Games

Diabetic Dog Game

Save the Dog

Help your dog to cope with diabetes.

Play the Diabetic Dog Game
Blood Typing Game

Bloodtyping

Learn about human blood types and blood transfusions!

Play the Blood Typing Game

Diabetic Dog Game

A Drooling Game

Train a dog to drool on command! It's all about conditioned learning.

Play the Pavlov's Dog Game
Laser Challenge Game

All about Laser

Collect a star and answer its laser question correctly.

Play the Laser Challenge Game

In Memoriam

Richard F. Heck

Chemistry Laureate Richard F. Heck Passes Away

Richard F. Heck, awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010 "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis", passed away on 9 October, 84 years old.

Biography of Richard F. Heck

Yoichiro Nambu

Yoichiro Nambu 1921-2015

Yoichiro Nambu, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2008 for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics, passed away on 5 July, 94 years old.

Biography
2008 Nobel Prize in Physics

Irwin Rose

Irwin Rose Passes Away

Irwin Rose, 2004 Chemistry Laureate, died on 2 June, 88 years old. His research made it possible to understand at molecular level how the cell controls a number of central processes by breaking down certain proteins and not others.

Biography
2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
John F. Nash Jr.

John F. Nash 1928-2015

John F. Nash Jr., awarded the 1994 Prize in Economic Sciences together with John C. Harsanyi and Reinhard Selten for "pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games", died on 23 May in a car crash, 86 years old.

Biography of John F. Nash Jr.