Here we will be presenting six new episodes of the podcast ‘Nobel Prize Conversations’. In these six episodes we will be meeting six laureates – one Nobel Prize laureate from each prize category.
This time we’re focusing on how our future can develop in different areas – from how our cities are developing to how one becomes the best teacher for the future generation. As always with ‘Nobel Prize Conversations’, we give you the chance to learn more about some of the individuals that have been awarded the Nobel Prize. New episodes will be added to this page as soon as they are released every second week.
The podcast is produced by Filt Hinterland and Nobel Prize Outreach in cooperation with ZEIT-Stiftung.
Find Nobel Prize Conversations season 1–2
Find Nobel Prize Conversations season 4
Leymah Gbowee
”I have encouraged young people to believe that they can do whatever they put their mind to”
In our podcast episode with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, she shares her heartbreaking life story of growing up during the Liberian civil war. The consequences from the war required her to grow up quickly or as she puts it herself: ”one minute I was a teenager and the next minute I was a woman”.
Gbowee also tells us about her constant and tireless struggle for women’s rights and peace in her home country. To never give up has been her constant motto in life. She has dedicated her life to encouraging young people ”to believe that they can do whatever they put their mind to”. When The Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith asks her how she would like to be remembered, she gives him a heartwarming reply.
Leymah Gbowee shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her peace work.
Paul Milgrom
”I try to lead a conversation rather than telling students what to think”
Economic sciences laureate Paul Milgrom loves being a teacher. He also loves when his students correct him and ask him hard questions that he doesn’t know the answer to. In this podcast episode the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith speaks to economist Milgrom about his own school years and what type of teacher he aspires to be.
Paul Milgrom shared the prize in economic sciences with his PhD advisor Robert Wilson for their research on auction theories.
Wole Soyinka
”In a number of my works, I am just narrating a tale for whoever is interested”
Listen to a new and very unique podcast interview with literature laureate Wole Soyinka who very seldom takes part in interviews. We spoke to the Nobel Prize laureate about his creative process and who he writes literature for. His literature is often rooted in his native country Nigeria and in the episode he shared his thoughts on how he thinks the country will develop for future generations. Soyinka then told us about another fascination of his, he loves space or as he puts it: “I am a space nut!”.
Wole Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986 and earlier this year he published his first in novel in almost 50 years.
Didier Queloz
“Science takes time and you need to build up the knowledge so I don’t see why we shouldn’t start right now?”
“When people think about other worlds, they think about other life.” Nobel Prize laureate Didier Queloz was a pioneering explorer of exoplanets – planets outside our own solar system – and now he finds himself at the centre of a new endeavour, the ETH Center for the Origin & Prevalence of Life. Here, scientists from a variety of disciplines will meet to challenge their limits and hopefully make some breakthroughs. “The gaps between disciplines are exploratory places,” as Queloz puts it.
Queloz speaks to Adam Smith about sending seasoned researchers like himself to scientific boot camp, the importance of science and science communication, and what finding ET might mean for the future of humankind.
Didier Queloz was awarded the 2019 physics prize for his research on exoplanets.
Joachim Frank
“I find solutions to problems by looking at places where nobody else was looking”
The creative and poetic chemistry laureate Joachim Frank always aspires to solve problems by looking at places no one has looked before. “Poetry boxing” and photography are essential for his work-life balance as a scientist, hear him speak more about that in this podcast episode. Other topics that are up for discussion are what role art plays in the field of science as well as where creativity is sparked.
Joachim Frank was awarded the chemistry prize in 2017 “for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution.”
Elizabeth Blackburn
“The way you do science should have an intrinsic beauty to it”
The Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith meets researcher and 2009 medicine laureate Elizabeth Blackburn. With an immense interest in the value of science, Blackburn speaks openly with Smith about how better to engage others in its importance – and beauty. Also up for discussion is our current climate crisis, as Blackburn has just been to Antartica and witnessed the severe consequences of the world’s climate change. Last but not least, they speak about the future of science and the future of Blackburn’s own research.
Elizabeth Blackburn was awarded the medicine prize in 2009 “for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase.”
First published October 2021