Your Questions about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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Question: How one can decide the impact of the research in chemistry whether by citations or its industrial and other applications?

Answer: I think both reflect on the impact. However, in the end you need the opinions of insightful scientists who judge the impact and (and quality) of research.

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Question: Why do we need to teach chemistry in school?

Answer: Because chemistry is the science of molecules, and (almost) everything around us is composed of molecules. To understand the world and the environment around us we need to know the basics about molecules and how they react with one another, and this is what chemistry is about, at all levels, including schools!

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Question: Will Professor Ertl still choose heterogeneous catalysis as his research topic if there is another chance for him today?

Answer: Of course only Professor Ertl himself can answer this question. My guess is that he would still do so, and he is still very much active in his research in surface chemistry today!

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Question: As a Physical Chemist at a national laboratory in the US, I am well aware of how much the field of Chemistry is strongly subdivided, in my opinion much more so than Physics. Frequently there is very little overlap between subfields, e. g., Physical Chemists tend to know very little about Organic or Inorganic Chemistry. How does the Nobel Committee decide which subfield of Chemistry to award in a given year? Also, what does the Committee do to ensure that all of the subfields are well represented in awarding Prizes? Is there any rotation of awards given to a specific Chemistry subfield, wherein if a prize in say Theoretical Chemistry has not been in awarded in a few years then it is more likely to receive an award in the following year?
Thanks, Nir Goldman

Answer: This is a rather difficult question to answer. There is certainly no predetermined "rotation" among subfields, but if you look back over the last, say 20, years of Nobel Prizes you will see that they have covered many subdisciplines. The choices reflect the development of chemistry as a science. The Prize discussions are based on a large number of nominations from invited scientists, which changes every year, and on reports by specialists.

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Question: Hello, there are a lot of chemists who have worked very hard for our future: from the discovery of new elements to the study of tiny particles. How can the Committee choose the "best" among these greatest scientists?

Answer: See answer to Nir Goldman above!

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Question: Hi Prof. Astrid:
Don't you think the Nobel Committee should refrain from quoting the nationality of a winner to promote more fairness? After all science has no boundaries.
Cheers, Samudra

Answer: You are quite right to say that science has no boundaries!
In the statutes for the Nobel Prize, reflecting the will of Alfred Nobel, it is particularly stated that in selecting the Nobel Laureates, there should be no importance attached to his/her nationality. The Prizes should simply reflect the most important scientific achievements, "for the benefit of mankind". However, for any scientist it is important which university/institution he or she works for, as well as which country he or she is from, so this is why this information is included in the short description of the Laureate.

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Question: The Nobel Prize this year is awarded for a physicist. This is the first exception, isn't it? This makes the chemist sad. Chemistry on surface phenomenon starts for a long time. Why by now we award the Prize?

Answer: I believe that if you look back in the past history of Nobel Prizes you will find a fairly large number of Nobel Laureates that have been rewarded in a field that was not their "original one". However, this year's Prize in Chemistry has been in my opinion awarded to a scientist working on fundamental chemical questions, which you could label as being physical chemistry or inorganic chemistry, or surface chemistry bordering on surface physics. The separate fields of the sciences are moving together more and more, and important new areas appear in between the classical fields of e.g. physics and chemistry, or chemistry and physiology. The Nobel Prizes also reflect this development.

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Interview with Professor Gunnar Karlström after the announcement of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Articles about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Find out more about nomination and selection of the Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry