Albert Einstein with his violin 'Lina'.

Photo: Public domain

In-depth

Nobel Prize Conversations

Behind the scenes

Each year in October, Adam Smith takes on the challenge of reaching the brand new Nobel Prize laureates for a telephone interview. In this new bonus episode of Nobel Prize Conversations, Adam takes us behind the scenes for even more of these calls and his favourite moments.
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Nobel Peace Prize awarded work

Marie and Pierre Curie and the discovery of polonium and radium

Marie and Pierre Curie’s pioneering research led to not one, but two Nobel Prizes, the first for the couple, the second for Marie.

Related articles

Pierre and Marie Curie

Pierre and Marie Curie in the "hangar" at l'Ecole de physique et chimie industrielles in Paris, France, where they made their discovery. (Photo taken 1898.)

Copyright © Association Curie Joliot-Curie, Photographer unknown

Nobel Prize laureates share their thoughts

Why chemistry matters

In four videos 16 Nobel Prize laureates discuss new frontiers in their field and explore what life as a chemist entails. They also describe the beauty inherent in chemistry and recall the eureka moments when they discovered ‘a little of nature’s logic’.
Hand with test tube

Watch the documentary series

Five documentaries inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize

A team of female Yazidi deminers in Iraq attempting to clear their land of mines left behind by ISIS.  A team of scientists on an extraordinary mission in Mozambique to help better our understanding of climate change. A man building prosthetic legs to help victims of war walk again in South Sudan … All are inspired by Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Into the fire - image
Nobel Peace Prize 1917, 1944 and 1963

Triple Nobel Peace Prizes

The International Committee of the Red Cross has a unique position in the history of the Nobel Peace Prize: no recipient has been awarded the Peace Prize as often as this organisation. World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated annually on the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the organisation, but it all began in Solferino 1859 …

Red Cross - Armband

Armlet for the Red Cross.

Photo: Nobel Prize Museum

Nobel Peace Prize 1901

Henry Dunant – a man with a great vision

The first Nobel Peace Prize ever was awarded half to Henry Dunant and half to Frédéric Passy for their peace work. Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, was born into a wealthy home, but he died alone in a hospice. He never ceased to work for peace and against the taking up of arms.

Henry Dunant

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

All Nobel Peace Prizes and laureates

Peace was the fifth and final prize area that Alfred Nobel outlined in his will. See all Nobel Peace Prize laureates and why they were awarded the prize.

Kofi Annan receiving his Nobel Peace Prize

Kofi Annan receiving his Nobel Peace Prize from Gunnar Berge, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

© Pressens Bild AB 2001.

Learn more

Mahatma Gandhi – The missing laureate

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) has become the strongest symbol of non-violence in the 20th century. It is widely held – in retrospect – that the Indian national leader should have been selected for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was nominated several times, but was never awarded the prize. Why?

Mahatma Gandhi laughing

Mahatma Gandhi laughing.

Photo: Public domain.

Nobel Prize laureates share their stories

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009

Ada Yonath: "Already at five, I was actively investigating the world"

“In one of my experiments I tried to measure the height of our tiny balcony using the furniture from inside the apartment. I put a table on another table, and a stool on top …”
Ada Yonath with dishes used for crystallization experiments

Ada E. Yonath with dishes used for crystallization experiments.

Credits: Micheline Pelletier/Corbis,

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018

James P. Allison: "I can’t help but cry whenever I tell this story"

“I can’t help but cry whenever I tell this story. My meeting with Sharon was my first experience of how years of research as a basic scientist could have an impact on patients.”
Honjo and Allison's meeting with cancer survivors (2)

Tasuku Honjo and James P. Allison's meeting with cancer survivors

© Nobel Media. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

Nobel Prize in Physics 2018

Donna Strickland: “I have always loved going to school"

“I have always loved going to school. I was one of those rare kids who was happy to have summer vacation over so I could go back to school. I started this love affair with school at Victory Public School.”
Donna Strickland in the laboratory

Donna Strickland in the laboratory.

Courtesy of University of Waterloo

Nobel Prize in Physics 2019

Michel Mayor: "Climbing provides me with immeasurable pleasure"

“As a teenager, I began doing one of my most exciting sports: climbing. With Aigle so close to mountains, living there allowed me to regularly practice these sports. Climbing provides me with immeasurable pleasure but… at one stage I was very happy to be rescued from a deep crevasse without too much damage!”
Michel Mayor

Portrait of Michel Mayor.

Photo: University of Geneva

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009

Elizabeth Blackburn: "Biology seemed the most interesting of sciences"

“Biology seemed the most interesting of sciences to me as a child. I was captivated by both the visual impact of science through science books written for young people, and an idea of the romance and nobility of the scientific quest. This latter was especially engendered by the biography of Marie Curie.”
Elizabeth Blackburn

Elizabeth Blackburn

Photo: Micheline Pelletier

Nobel Prize in Physics 2021

Giorgio Parisi: "Doing science is like playing puzzles"

“I think that doing science is like playing puzzles or reading a detective story and trying to understand who is guilty before the author tells you. I think that most people like to play with puzzles but as a scientist I think this is on a different scale because the type of puzzles that we interested in are on a much bigger scale.”
Giorgio Parisi standing in front of a blackboard teaching

Giorgio Parisi teaching

Courtesy Giorgio Parisi

Prize in economic sciences 2019

Abhijit Banerjee: "As a child of economists…

…I knew that economics was one field I must avoid. My father was a famously charismatic teacher, who adored and was much adored by his many students. He would often talk about just how brilliant some of them were, and it was clear to me that I had nothing to gain and much to lose by inviting comparisons with them.”
Abhijit Banerjee after receiving his Nobel Prize

Abhijit Banerjee after receiving his Nobel Prize at Konserthuset Stockholm, 10 December 2019.

© Nobel Media. Photo: Nanaka Adachi

Nobel Prize laureates share their thoughts

Nobel Prize in Physics 2020

What brought you to science?

What brought you to science? Did you have role models that inspired you to start a scientific career? In what environment are you most creative? These and more questions are answered in this interview with Andrea Ghez.

Explore and learn

19 remarkable scientists and their stories

Explore a storytelling experience that celebrates and explores the contributions, careers and lives of 19 women who have been awarded Nobel Prizes for their scientific achievements.
Explore 'Women who changed science'

Watch Nobel Minds

2022 Nobel Prize laureates in discussion

Watch the laureates in a discussion about their discoveries and achievements, and how these might find a practical application. Nobel Minds is hosted by the BBC’s Zeinab Badawi.

Nobel Prize Summit 2023

Truth, Trust and Hope

How can we build trust in truth, facts and scientific evidence so that we can create a hopeful future for all?

Nobel Prize Summit brought together laureates, leading experts and the general public in a conversation on how we can combat disinformation, restore trust in science and create a hopeful future.

Read more and watch the recorded events here
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