First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “Get up, you need to get up!”  James A. Robinson discovered he was a 2024 economic sciences laureate when his wife, Maria Angélica Bautista, woke him up. In this call he talks about the root causes of poverty and how to build the types of political structures that enhance…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 ”It’s amazing news!” “There’s nothing natural about 30-, 40-, 50- fold differences in income per capita in a globalised, connected world.” Daron Acemoglu, economic sciences laureate 2024, speaks about the root causes of persistent poverty among the poorest nations and how to build the types of inclusive institution that…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “True, genuine, inclusive democracy matters, very clearly” Simon Johnson learnt of the award from the congratulatory text messages piling-up on his phone. In this short conversation, recorded just moments after he had heard the news, he highlights the importance of participatory decision-making in making the most of human potential.…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “The dream came true!” The prize came as a big surprise, says Masako Wada, a representative from Nihon Hidankyo. In this interview shortly after learning about the prize, she shares her deep concerns on the world’s backlash on nuclear disarmament, not least after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “Rather…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 ”I’m so surprised and honoured” 2024 literature laureate Han Kang had just finished dinner with her son at her home in Seoul when she received the news. In this interview, she reflects on being the first South Korean literature laureate and talks about how writers as a collective have…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “I will try to get some sleep, but I don’t know if it’s possible” News of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry gave David Baker’s household a very early wake up call. Here, just after the prize announcement, he talks about the exciting potential of building brand new proteins,…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “It’s absolutely extraordinary” John Jumper had just heard the news of his 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. “I thought I had a 10% chance,” he reveals. To save his nerves, his plan had been to sleep in until after the announcement, which didn’t quite work out. In the interview,…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “The best scientists paired with these kinds of tools will be able to do incredible things” Demis Hassabis – just after he had received the call from Stockholm – reflects on building the right research environment and the interplay between AI and individual scientists. Interview transcript Demis Hassabis: Hello,…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “I’m still somewhat in shock” “You have to build up from the bottom.” In this interview shortly after the announcement, John J. Hopfield talks about how he found out about the prize when he was going through his e-mails. ”It didn’t sink in until I got to the fourth e-mail!” From…

First reactions. Telephone interview, October 2024 “How could I be sure it wasn’t a spoof call?” 2024 physics laureate Geoffrey Hinton received the phone call from Stockholm in the early hours in a hotel room in California, and multiple Swedish accents helped reassure him that his Nobel Prize in Physics was real. In this interview…