The inventions behind AI
How can computers mimic functions such as memory and learning?
The inventions behind the 2024 physics prize have formed the basis of what we call artificial intelligence.
Monthly Quiz
Quiz answers
Monthly December 2024
Quiz question
The Nobel Prize amount
On 27 November 1895, a year before his death, Alfred Nobel signed the famous will which would implement some of the goals to which he had devoted so much of his life. Nobel stipulated in his will that most of his estate, more than SEK 31 million (today approximately SEK 2.2 billion) should be converted into a fund and invested in “safe securities.” The income from the investments was to be “distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
In 1901, the Nobel Prize amount was 150,782 SEK per unshared prize. Do you know the prize amount for 2024? 2 million Swedish kronor (SEK), 6 million Swedish kronor (SEK) or 11 million Swedish kronor (SEK)?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 11 million Swedish kronor (SEK) per prize category.
Monthly November 2024
Quiz question
Nobel Prize in Physics 2024 – awarded jointly to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics rewards inventions linked to … what? Exoplanets, attoseconds or artificial intelligence (AI)?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Artificial intelligence (AI). Read more: They used physics to find patterns in information
See all 2024 Nobel Prizes here
Monthly October 2024
Quiz question
The secrecy rule
Each year, thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Prize laureates, members of parliamentary assemblies and more are asked to submit candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year. Access to information about a given year’s candidates and/or nominators is not given until quite a few years have passed, according to the secrecy rule. Do you know how many years? 25, 50 or 75 years?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 50 years. According to the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation, the prize awarding institutions can never confirm, or deny, whether someone has been nominated for the Nobel Prize until the full list of nominations is made public after 50 years.
Monthly September 2024
Quiz question
Nominated but never awarded
A well-known leader and pacifist was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times, but was never awarded. Who was it? Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi or Dalai Lama?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was nominated in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948. Read more here: Mahatma Gandhi, the missing laureate. Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and Dalai Lama in 1989.
Monthly August 2024
Quiz question
Nobel names in the periodic table
Do you know how many elements bear the names of Nobel Prize laureates? 4, 8 or 18?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 8. There are eight elements named after Nobel Prize laureates:
Curium, 96, named after Marie and Pierre Curie, Nobel Prize in Physics 1903
Einsteinium, 99, named after Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize in Physics 1921
Fermium, 100, named after Enrico Fermi, Nobel Prize in Physics 1938
Lawrencium, 103, named after Ernest Lawrence, Nobel Prize in Physics 1939
Rutherfordium, 104, named after Ernest Rutherford, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1908
Seaborgium, 106, named after Glenn T. Seaborg, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1951
Bohrium, 107, named after Niels Bohr, Nobel Prize in Physics 1922
Röntgenium, 111, named after Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Nobel Prize in Physics 1901
Monthly July 2024
Quiz question
Most visited Nobel Prize laureate
Since 1901, the Nobel Prizes and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel have been awarded 621 times to 1,000 people and organisations – scientists, authors as well as peace workers. All of the laureates can be found at nobelprize.org. Do you know which laureate was the most visited on nobelprize.org in 2023? Albert Einstein, Marie Curie or Martin Luther King Jr?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Martin Luther King Jr. Albert Einstein is the second most viewed and Marie Curie comes in third.
Monthly June 2024
Quiz question
A young Nobel Prize laureate
Lawrence Bragg, who was awarded the 1915 physics prize together with his father, is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in the scientific prize categories. How old was he when he was awarded the prize? 25 years, 30 years or 35 years?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 25 years. Read more about Lawrence Bragg
Monthly May 2024
Quiz question
Multiple recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize
The peace prize has been awarded to an organisation 30 times since 1901, but no recipient has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as many times as the International Committee of the Red Cross. They first received the prize in 1917 during World War I, then in 1944 during World War II and finally in 1963. Only one other organisation has been awarded the peace prize more than once. Do you know which one? Doctors Without Borders, UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or United Nations Peacekeeping Forces?
Quiz answer
The right answer is UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. UNHCR has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981, for its work in providing help and protection to refugees all over the world. See the list of all Nobel Peace Prize awarded organisations
Monthly April 2024
Quiz question
It takes time to become a Nobel Prize laureate
Since 1901, 965 people have been awarded the Nobel Prize or prize in economic sciences. Can you guess their average age? 50 years, 60 years or 70 years?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 60 years. See the list of all Nobel Prize laureates sorted by age.
Monthly March 2024
Quiz question
The first woman
Eleven laureates – seven men and four women – were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2023. Do you know who was the very first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize? Bertha von Suttner, Marie Skłodowska Curie or Gerty Cori?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Marie Skłodowska Curie. She was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1911 she became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Today she is still the only person that has been awarded two Nobel Prizes in two scientific categories. In 1905, Bertha von Suttner was the first woman awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and in 1947 Gerty Cori was the first woman awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Monthly February 2024
Quiz question
X-rays – an unexpected phenomena
The 1924 physics laureate Manne Siegbahn was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries and research in the field of X-ray spectroscopy. Many Nobel Prize laureates have been awarded prizes for work related to X-ray technology. Do you know who discovered X-rays? Henri Becquerel, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin or Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.
Read more about Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, the first Nobel Prize laureate in Physics.
Monthly January 2024
Quiz question
Experiments with light capture the shortest of moments
The 2023 Nobel Prize laureates in physics have made it possible to explore the details of what happens inside of atoms and molecules with the help of extremely short pulses of light. These pulses last only on the order of an attosecond. How long is an attosecond? A thousandth of a thousandth of a second, a millionth of a millionth of a second or a billionth of a billionth of a second?
Quiz answer
The right answer is a billionth of a billionth of a second.
Read more about the 2023 physics prize here
Monthly December 2023
Quiz question
Alfred Nobel – the great donor
Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prizes “for the greatest benefit to humankind”, and since 1901, the prizes have been presented to the laureates at ceremonies on 10 December. But what is so special about that day? Alfred Nobel was born on 10 December, Alfred Nobel signed his last will on 10 December or Alfred Nobel passed away on 10 December?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Alfred Nobel passed away on 10 December.
Read more about Alfred Nobel here
Monthly November 2023
Quiz question
They planted an important seed for nanotechnology
This year’s Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry, Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Aleksey Yekimov, have succeeded in creating extremely small nanoparticles whose size determines their properties. What are these small particles called? Liquid crystals, quantum dots or quantum lights?
Quiz answer
The right answer is quantum dots.
Read more about the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry here
Monthly October 2023
Quiz question
One Nobel Prize is not awarded in Sweden
All but one of the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded elsewhere. Do you know where? In Copenhagen, Denmark. in Helsinki, Finland or in Oslo, Norway?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Oslo, Norway. During Alfred Nobel’s lifetime Sweden and Norway were joined in a union but we still don’t know exactly why Alfred Nobel chose for the peace prize to be awarded in Norway. However, as the prize committee is located in Oslo, it follows that the prize is also awarded there.
Monthly September 2023
Quiz question
A prize for the youngest
The following organisations work to help children, and one has even been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work. Which one? Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages or United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)?
Quiz answer
The right answer is United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The organisation was awarded the 1965 Nobel Peace Prize.
Monthly August 2023
Quiz question
A thorough education by private teachers
Alfred Nobel’s father Immanuel invested in the education of his children. The four brothers were privately tutored at their home in St Petersburg in Russia, where the Nobel family lived from 1842 to 1863. The children were provided with a broad knowledge-base which included being taught a number of languages. Do you know in how many languages Alfred Nobel was fluent? 2, 5 or 10?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 5. Alfred Nobel learned five languages fluently – aside from his native Swedish he also spoke Russian, English, French, and German.
Read more in the article Alfred Nobel – St. Petersburg, 1842-1863
Monthly July 2023
Quiz question
The scent of smell
Our perception of the world is based on how our brain receives and processes various messages, including our sense of smell. Approximately how many different odours can the human nose distinguish? 10,000 odours, 1 billion odours or 1 trillion odours?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 1 trillion odours. At the time Richard Axel and Linda Buck carried out their research, scientists thought the human nose could detect approximately 10,000 odours but later studies showed we could detect many, many more. Read more about the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004.
Monthly June 2023
Quiz question
Awarded inventions
In earlier years, inventions were often recognised with Nobel Prizes. Do you know which one of these inventions was awarded the Nobel Prize? The light bulb. the transistor or the pacemaker?
Quiz answer
The right answer is the transistor. In 1956 William Bradford Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of the transistor.
Monthly May 2023
Quiz question
She created a literary non-fiction genre
During the years, Nobel Prize awarded authors have been awarded for their novels, short stories, poems and drama. One laureate, who is a journalist, moves in the boundary between reporting and fiction. She uses interviews to create a collage of a wide range of voices and thereby creates a literary non-fiction genre that is entirely her own: documentary novels. Who is the author?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Svetlana Alexievich. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2015 with the motivation “for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time”.
Herta Müller was awarded the 2009 literature prize with the motivation “who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed”. Doris Lessing was awarded the 2007 with the motivation “that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny”.
Monthly April 2023
Quiz question
The sixth prize
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is awarded according to the same principles governing the Nobel Prizes. Do you know when the first prize in economic sciences was awarded? In 1959, 1969 or 1979?
Quiz answer
The right answer is 1969.
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was established in 1968. It is a memorial prize, based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation from Sweden’s central bank on the occasion of the bank’s 300th anniversary. The first prize in economic sciences was awarded to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen in 1969.
More about the prize in economic sciences
Monthly March 2023
Quiz question
Nobel Prize awarded discoveries
She discovered a novel therapy against malaria
A number of serious infectious diseases are caused by parasites spread by insects. Malaria is caused by a single-cell parasite that causes severe fever. In the 1960s and 70s a female researcher discovered artemisinin, an anti-malarial, and also tested the new drug on herself to speed up the time needed for development. This drug has saved the lives of millions of people worldwide. Do you know who the researcher was?
Barbara McClintock, Gertrude Elion or Tu Youyou?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Tu Youyou. She was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria”. Barbara McClintock was awarded the 1983 medicine prize “for her discovery of mobile genetic elements” and Gertrude Elion was awarded the 1988 medicine prize for “discoveries of important principles for drug treatment”.
Do you want to match more laureates with their discoveries? Try this game!
Monthly February 2023
Quiz question
Multiple chemistry laureate
In December 2022, K. Barry Sharpless was awarded his second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was awarded the first one in 2001 and is the second person to be awarded two chemistry prizes since the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. Do you know who the other laureate is?
Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford or Frederick Sanger?
Quiz answer
The right answer is Frederick Sanger. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1958 and in 1980. Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1911. Ernest Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry one time only, in 1908.
Monthly January 2023
Quiz question
Shared prizes
Since 1901, a total of 615 Nobel Prizes have been awarded, including the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. A Nobel Prize can be shared by up to three individuals, or in the case of the peace prize, it can also be awarded to an organisation. Do you know what has been most common – a prize shared by two or three laureates or a prize to one laureate only?
A prize to one laureate only or
A prize shared by two laureates or
A prize shared by three laureates?
Quiz answer
The right answer is a prize to one laureate only.
Number of prizes with only one laureate: 355
Number of prizes with two laureates: 146
Number of prizes with three laureates: 114
Crash course – 2024 Nobel Prizes
How much do you know about the discoveries awarded the 2024 Nobel Prizes? Take our one-minute crash course on each of the prizes and find out how each have changed our world.
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Proteins and their structures
How can AI help build proteins?
Using computing and AI, researchers have helped to solve the mystery of protein structures.
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
What does microRNA do?
Have you heard of microRNA?
This tiny molecule plays a crucial role in protein production in our cells.
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
The works of Han Kang
Do you know the South Korean author Han Kang?
Her works confront historical traumas, unspoken rules and portray human vulnerability.
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize
The fight against nuclear weapons
In 1945, the US dropped atomic bombs over the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Survivors now work to make sure nobody else will suffer the same way again.
The 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
Rich and poor countries
Why are some countries rich and others poor?
The research awarded the 2024 economic sciences prize gives us an idea why.
The Nobel Prize Banquet Menu 2024 in the chefs’ own words
The Nobel Prize Banquet Menu 2024 is composed by chef Jessie Sommarström and pastry chef Frida Bäcke. You can find the menu here. In this article the chefs tell the story behind each course.
Starter
1 (of 2) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The starter.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
2 (of 2) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of this year’s banquet starter.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
“The ingredients are carefully picked out, with the ambition to highlight quality and seasonal taste. By choosing ingredients from smaller Swedish producers, we want to tell a story about craftsmanship, tradition and quality,” says Jessie Sommarström.
Main course
1 (of 5) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
2 (of 5) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of the main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
3 (of 5) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
4 (of 5) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of the side dish of the main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
5 (of 5) The main course of the 2024 Nobel Prize Banquet menu is served with a modern cultural creamed steel-cut barley with wild and cultivated mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke and roasted chicken jus with Pomme de Vie.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
“I want to emphasize that chicken is a food best reserved for special occasions and something we should eat less frequently. At the same time, it’s crucial that we choose poultry from producers who prioritize animal welfare and allow the birds to express their natural behaviors. In this dish, I have combined chicken with legumes that are both delicious and nutritious, which also helps reduce the dish’s climate footprint. The side dish is based on whole grains, something almost everyone needs to eat more of to stay healthy. Together, they create a delightful and balanced meal that is as tasty as it is nourishing,” says Jessie Sommarström.
Dessert
1 (of 7) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
2 (of 7) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
3 (of 7) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
4 (of 7) Pastry chef Frida Bäcke has used a variety of Swedish apples for her Nobel Prize Banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
5 (of 7) Frida is fittingly the name of one of the apple varieties chosen by pastry chef Frida Bäcke for the 2024 banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
6 (of 7) Frida is fittingly the name of one of the apple varieties chosen by pastry chef Frida Bäcke for the 2024 banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
7 (of 7) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
“I chose apples as the base for my dessert for many reasons, but the main focus is to celebrate one of the few Swedish natural ingredients that are seasonal all over the country. I have also added pineappleweed which is a playful way of highlighting ingredients that you can find in your surroundings. The dessert has a clean and simple aesthetic,” says Frida Bäcke.
Read an article about this year’s banquet chefs
The Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024
Opening address – 2024
Speech by Professor Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chair of the Board of the Nobel Foundation, 10 December 2024.
Your Majesties,
Your Royal Highnesses,
Esteemed Nobel Prize Laureates,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Nobel Foundation, it is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you all to the 2024 Nobel Prize award ceremony. In particular, I wish to welcome the Nobel Prize laureates, their families and friends.
Today in Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, also known as Hibakusha, “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again”. This Japanese grassroot movement, survivors of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has for almost 80 years argued the necessity of an international nuclear taboo. During decades, nuclear arms were considered the main threat to humankind, but in spite of these witnesses reminding us, and because of trust in arms treaties and international developments, this almost fell into oblivion. Today, as nuclear threats are being expressed anew in connection with wars and conflicts involving nuclear powers, the Nobel Peace Prize takes on an existential dimension. Earlier this year, a number of Nobel Prize laureates signed the Mainau declaration 2024 on nuclear weapons, urging all nations to protect human civilization by ensuring that nuclear arms never be used again. The atomic bomb also recalls that basic research put into practice is not only for good.
Still, however, it is through free, fundamental research that science must continue to explore and expand the frontiers of human knowledge, laying the foundation for future applications and development. The scientific breakthroughs awarded this year in science and medicine – the physics prize for using dynamical systems to understand mechanisms of memory and laying the foundations for artificial intelligence, the chemistry prize for using the latter for predicting protein structures, and for computational design of proteins, and the prize in physiology or medicine for the discovery of an essential complimentary process for how identical genetic information leads to different cells – have already led to groundbreaking applications for the greatest benefit of humankind. The unimaginable consequences that genetic technologies and artificial intelligence may perhaps introduce can only be managed in trustful, rule-based international collaboration.
The literature prize this year, awarded to a profound exploration of human vulnerability against the backdrop of historical trauma, where the abyss is always as close as is the longing for transformation, sheds light upon the fragile condition of humankind.
And finally, the prize in economic sciences, for quantitatively assessing the importance of a country’s institutions for its prosperity, can be considered in the present context of ongoing autocratisation, with faltering democracies.
Facing a number of interconnected challenges, including climate change and geopolitical tensions, we indeed live in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The insightful testament of Alfred Nobel, which has gathered us here, is still of highest relevance. The scientific prizes award fundamental research. Still, all the awards, in their diversity, also address the global challenges of today. The laureates have paved the way. Science, literature and peace offer different paths to tackle today’s wicked problems. But they all remind us that it is not blind destiny that decides on our future as humanity. This also offers hope. It lies in our hands to change the world.
Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2024
Folkhälsa och svenska råvaror i fokus på 2024 års Nobelmeny
2024 års Nobelmeny står med fötterna djupt i den svenska myllan. Kocken Jessie Sommarström och konditorn Frida Bäcke lyfter fram säsongsbetonade råvaror som betor och svenska äpplen – och överraskar med en lyxig variant av en viss frukostfavorit.
Jessie Sommarström spricker upp i ett leende, samtidigt som hon med stora rörelser för runt sleven i grytan.
– Titta vad lycklig jag blir när jag får laga gröt, säger hon och skrattar.
Den något oväntade sidorätten – en modern kulturgröt på klippt korn – är en del av årets Nobelmeny, där kocken Jessie Sommarström ansvarar för förrätt och huvudrätt. Genom valet av gröt vill Jessie Sommarström belysa det faktum att vi äter alldeles för lite fullkorn, vilket är en stor orsak till ohälsa.
Den tv-sända Nobelbanketten äger traditionsenligt rum i Stadshuset den 10 december, som ett tillfälle att hylla årets Nobelpristagare. 1 300 gäster tar plats i Blå hallen och intar förrätt, huvudrätt och dessert komponerade av en särskilt utvald kock och konditor. Utöver att menyn bör andas Skandinavien finns stort utrymme för de gastronomiskt ansvariga att sätta sin personliga prägel.
Som flerfaldigt prisbelönad stjärnkock arbetade Jessie Sommarström på topprestauranger, innan hon bytte inriktning för att i stället utveckla maten i den offentliga sektorn. Numera ligger hennes fokus på hur måltider som lagas för miljontals människor kan vara såväl hälsosamma och hållbara som goda.
Engagerad för folkhälsa
Under uppväxten med en ensamstående mamma blev Jessie Sommarström tidigt medveten om utmaningarna med att få till vettiga måltider till rimliga priser. När hon själv blev mamma växte intresset för matens betydelse för folkhälsan, något hon beskriver som en av vår tids ödesfrågor. Frågan om folkhälsa är nära förknippad med hennes engagemang för klimatet.
“Jag vill visa att det går att laga god mat med ansvar.”
Jessie Sommarström
– Som kock vill jag visa att det går att laga god mat med ansvar. Jag vill inspirera människor att göra bättre matval, som kan bidra till förändring och lägga grunden för en hållbar framtid, säger hon.
Att välja råvaror med omsorg är viktigt för Jessie Sommarström, som menar att allt börjar hos producenterna. Hållbarhet och kreativitet är ledord för årets Nobelmeny, som blir hennes första.
– Jag är jättenervös såklart, det är en stor middag med mångas ögon på sig. Men det känns fantastiskt och ärofyllt, säger hon.
Jessie Sommarström
Fakta
- Ålder: 45 år
- Yrke: Gastronomisk chef på Sodexo
- Karriär: Årets kock 2022. Gastronomiska Akademiens guldmedalj och Årets kvinna i besöksnäringen, 2023. Hedersdoktor vid den samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten på Umeå universitet, 2024. Har arbetat på restauranger som Sturehof och Esperanto.
Vill värna om kunskapen om naturen
Frida – så heter passande nog en av äppelsorterna som konditorn Frida Bäcke har valt till årets Nobeldessert. Frida Bäcke är Jessie Sommarströms parhäst, vilket innebär att årets Nobelmeny blir den första någonsin som komponeras av två kvinnor.
Frida Bäcke har arbetat på flera stjärnkrogar och varit en del av det Svenska Kocklandslaget. Numera driver hon ett prisbelönat konditori i centrala Stockholm, där vi möter henne. Frågan om att skapa årets Nobeldessert gjorde henne mållös, säger hon.
– Det är något jag tänkt på, men aldrig trott jag skulle få. Nobelbanketten är en så stor och fin middag som betyder mycket för många, och det känns speciellt att få uppdraget, säger Frida Bäcke.
“Jag vill slå ett slag för att ta vara på naturens resurser.”
Frida Bäcke
Att äpple är huvudingrediens i desserten har flera orsaker. Äpple är en av få svenska råvaror som är i säsong året runt över hela landet, och finns i många varianter. Genom valet av äpple vill Frida Bäcke också lyfta fram vikten av att använda det som finns runt omkring oss. För Frida, som växte upp i Dalarna med skogen runt knuten, var närheten till naturen en självklarhet.
– När jag flyttade till Stockholm saknade jag att bara kunna gå ut och plocka bär eller svamp. Jag är rädd att den erfarenheten och kunskapen blir svagare bland den yngre generationen. Med råvarorna i min Nobeldessert vill jag slå ett slag för att ta vara på naturens resurser, säger Frida Bäcke.
Hon beskriver desserten som “lite annorlunda” och präglad av hennes estetik: stilren och enkel.
Hämtar lugn i träningen
Till de runt 60 borden i Blå hallen används cirka 800 meter linneduk. Under kvällen arbetar totalt ett 40-tal kockar och 190 servitörer och servitriser. Inför att Nobeldagen närmar sig ökar nervositeten, berättar Frida Bäcke, som dock hämtar lugn i puls- och styrketräning.
Att få göra Nobelmenyn ihop med Jessie Sommarström känns tryggt, säger Frida Bäcke.
– Jessie är något av en idol för mig. Jag ser mycket upp till hennes driv i att vilja skapa en förändring och i hur hon använder sin expertis som kock till något större. Hon tar kampen för det som är viktigt och jag är väldigt glad över att få göra den här middagen ihop med henne, säger hon.
Jessie Sommarström och Frida Bäcke har haft vissa uppdrag ihop tidigare, och har kommit varandra nära under arbetet med Nobelmiddagen.
– Frida Bäcke är en av Sveriges mest framstående konditorer. Hon är en mästare i sitt hantverk, prestigelös och alltid generös med sin kunskap. Att få skapa Nobelmiddagen tillsammans med henne känns både tryggt och inspirerande, säger Jessie Sommarström.
Frida Bäcke
Fakta
- Ålder: 36 år
- Yrke: Konditor på egna konditoriet Socker Sucker
- Karriär: Frida har arbetat som chefskonditor på restauranger som Frantzén och AIRA. Under fem år har hon även varit en del av det svenska Kocklandslaget och tävlat i VM och OS. Tre år i rad har Frida Bäcke utsetts till Konditorernas Konditor. I dag driver hon konditoriet Socker Sucker i Stockholm som utsetts till konditoriernas konditori två år i rad.
Sveriges Television direktsänder Nobelbanketten den 10 december. Nobelmenyn presenteras i sin helhet här på nobelprize.org klockan 19.00 den 10 december. Här kan du hitta samtliga menyer från alla Nobelbanketter genom tiderna.
Public health and Swedish ingredients in focus
The 2024 Nobel Prize banquet menu stands with its feet firmly planted in the Swedish soil. Chef Jessie Sommarström and pastry chef Frida Bäcke highlight seasonal ingredients such as beets and apples – and surprise with a luxurious version of a breakfast favourite.
Jessie Sommarström breaks into a smile while moving the ladle around the pot with large gestures.
“Look how happy I get when I cook porridge,” she says, laughing.
This somewhat unexpected side dish – a modern cultural creamed steel-cut barley – is part of this year’s Nobel Prize banquet menu, in which Sommarström is responsible for the appetizer and main course. Through the choice of her side dish, Sommarström wants to highlight the fact that we eat far too few whole grains, a major cause of poor health.
The Nobel Prize banquet takes place in Stockholm City Hall on 10 December every year and is broadcast live on Swedish Television. The event is an opportunity to celebrate this year’s Nobel Prize laureates. More than 1,000 guests can be seated in the Blue Hall during the three-course dinner composed by a selected chef and pastry chef. While the menu is a chance to celebrate Scandinavian cuisine, there is ample space for those responsible for the gastronomy to leave their personal mark.
As a multiple award-winning star chef, Sommarström worked at top restaurants before shifting focus to develop food in the public sector. Now, her mission is to show how meals prepared for millions of people can be both healthy, sustainable, and delicious.
Engaged in public health
Growing up with a single mother, Sommarström became aware early on of the challenges of providing good meals at reasonable prices. When she herself became a mother, her interest in the role of food in public health grew, something she describes as one of the defining issues of our time. The issue of public health is closely linked to her commitment to the climate.
“I want to inspire people to make better food choices.”
Jessie Sommarström
“As a chef, I want to show that it is possible to cook good food responsibly. I want to inspire people to make better food choices, which can contribute to change and lay the foundation for a sustainable future,” she says.
Choosing ingredients carefully is important to Sommarström, who believes that it all starts with the producers. Sustainability and creativity are key themes for this year’s Nobel Prize banquet menu, which will be her first.
“I’m really nervous, of course, it’s a big dinner with many eyes on you. But it feels fantastic and it’s an honour,” she says.
Jessie Sommarström
Quick facts
- Age: 45
- Profession: Gastronomic manager, Sodexo
- Career: Chef of the year, 2022. Gastronomic Academy Gold Medal and Woman of the year in tourism industry, 2023. Honorary doctor at the social science faculty, Umeå University, 2024. Worked at restaurants such as Sturehof and Esperanto.
Wants to protect knowledge of nature
Frida is fittingly the name of one of the apple varieties chosen by pastry chef Frida Bäcke for this year’s banquet dessert. Bäcke completes the team alongside Sommarström, making this year’s Nobel Prize banquet menu the first ever composed by two women.
Bäcke has worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants and has been part of the Swedish Culinary Team, that represents Sweden in international culinary competitions. Now, she runs an award-winning patisserie in central Stockholm. Being asked to create this year’s dessert left her speechless, she says.
“It’s something I’ve thought about, but never believed I would get the chance. The Nobel Prize banquet is such a big and beautiful dinner that means a lot to many, and it feels special to get this assignment,” says Bäcke.
“I want to advocate for making use of nature’s resources.”
Frida Bäcke
There are several reasons why apple is the main ingredient in the dessert. Apple is one of the few Swedish ingredients that are in season year-round across the country, as well as being available in many varieties. Through the choice of apple, Bäcke also wants to highlight the importance of using what is around us. For Bäcke, who grew up in Dalarna with the forest just outside the door, proximity to nature is important.
“When I moved to Stockholm, I missed being able to just go outside and pick berries or mushrooms. I’m afraid that experience and knowledge is fading among the younger generation. With the ingredients in my dessert, I want to advocate for making use of nature’s resources,” says Bäcke.
She describes the dessert as “a little different” and characterised by her aesthetic: sleek and simple.
Finds calm in exercising
For the 60 banquet tables in the Blue Hall, about 800 meters of linen tablecloth are used. During the evening, a total of 40 chefs and 190 waiters and waitresses will cater to the guests. As the day of the banquet approaches, the nervousness grows, says Bäcke, who finds calm in exercising.
To be doing the Nobel Prize banquet together with Jessie Sommarström feels safe, says Bäcke.
“Jessie is somewhat of an idol for me. I really admire her drive to create change and how she uses her expertise as a chef for something bigger. She fights for what’s important, and I’m very happy to be making this dinner with her,” says Bäcke.
Sommarström and Bäcke have worked together before and have grown close while collaborating on the Nobel Prize banquet menu.
“Frida Bäcke is one of Sweden’s most prominent pastry chefs. She’s a master of her craft, humble, and always generous with her knowledge. To be creating the Nobel Prize banquet menu together with her feels both safe and inspiring,” says Sommarström.
Frida Bäcke
Quick facts
- Age: 36
- Profession: Pastry chef at her own pastry shop Socker Sucker
- Career: Frida has worked as head pastry chef at restaurants such as Frantzén and AIRA. For five years, she was a part of the Swedish Culinary team, competing in the World Cup and the Olympics. For three years in a row, Frida Bäcke has been named “Pastry chef of all pastry chefs”. Today she runs the pastry shop Socker Sucker in Stockholm, named “pastry shop of all pastry shops” for two years in a row.
The Nobel Prize banquet menu will be unveiled here at nobelprize.org on 10 December at 19:00 CET. Click here to find all menus from previous Nobel Prize banquets.
Nobel Prize Banquet Menu 2024
MENU
Fromage de chèvre d’Östergötland fourré de livèche.
Servi avec des betteraves suédoises, du miel et une glaçure de coings,
parsemés de graines de citrouille grillées.
Quenelle de poulet, légumineuses suédoises et truffe d’automne du Gotland.
Céleri-rave glacé avec miso de fèves suédoises
et bouquet de chou au parfum d’herbes et de pomme.
Servi avec un gruau culturel moderne d’orge épointée,
de champignons sauvages et de culture,
du topinambour et un jus de poulet rôti aromatisé de Pomme de Vie.
Variation de pommes suédoises. Terrine aux pommes Frida caramélisées.
Quatre-quarts de souchet rissolé aromatisé aux pousses d’épinette.
Crème de coings et pommes émincées à la camomille.
Servies avec une glace à la matricaire et au punch suédois.
VINS
Longitude Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Extra Brut,
Larmandier-Bernier, Champagne, France
2019 Barolo, Giacomo Fenocchio, Piemonte, Italie
2022 Bute Mousserande Iscider, Umeå, Suède
Stadshusrestauranger en collaboration avec
le Chef Jessie Sommarström ainsi que le Chef Pâtissier Frida Bäcke
Translation (English)
Goat cheese from Östergötland filled with lovage.
Served with Swedish beets, honey and quince glaze,
along with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Quenelle of chicken, Swedish legumes and autumn truffle from Gotland.
Celeriac glazed with miso on Swedish broad beans
and a cabbage bouquet with taste of herbs and apple.
Served with a modern cultural creamed steel-cut barley
with wild and cultivated mushrooms,
Jerusalem artichoke and roasted chicken jus with Pomme de Vie.
Variation on Swedish apples. Terrine made from caramelised Frida apples.
Brown butter cake made from tiger nuts flavoured with spruce shoots.
Cream of quince fruit and thinly sliced apples with chamomile.
Served with ice cream made with pineapple weed and punsch liqueur.
WINES
Longitude Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Extra Brut,
Larmandier-Bernier, Champagne, France
2019 Barolo, Giacomo Fenocchio, Piemonte, Italy
2022 Bute Mousserande Iscider, Umeå, Sweden
Stadshusrestauranger in collaboration with
Chef Jessie Sommarström as well as Pastry Chef Frida Bäcke
Translation (Swedish)
Getost från Östergötland fylld med libbsticka.
Serveras med svenska betor, honung och rosenkvitten samt rostade pumpakärnor.
Quenell på kyckling, svenska baljväxter och hösttryffel från Gotland.
Rotselleri glaserad med miso på svenska bondbönor och kålbukett
med smak av örter och äpple.
Serveras med en modern kulturgröt på klippt korn, vild och odlad svamp,
jordärtskocka samt en rostad kycklingsky med Pomme de Vie.
Variation på svenska äpplen. Terrine på karamelliserade Fridaäpplen.
Brynt smörkaka på jordmandel smaksatt med granskott.
Kräm på rosenkvitten samt tunt skivade äpplen med kamomill.
Serveras med en glass på gatkamomill och punsch.
1 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The starter.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
2 (of 14) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of this year’s banquet starter.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
3 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
4 (of 14) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of the main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
5 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
6 (of 14) Chef Jessie Sommarström in the making of the side dish of the main course.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
7 (of 14) The main course of the 2024 Nobel Prize Banquet menu is served with a modern cultural creamed steel-cut barley with wild and cultivated mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke and roasted chicken jus with Pomme de Vie.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
8 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
9 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
10 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
11 (of 14) Nobel Prize Banquet menu 2024: The dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
12 (of 14) Pastry chef Frida Bäcke has used a variety of Swedish apples for her Nobel Prize Banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
13 (of 14) Frida is fittingly the name of one of the apple varieties chosen by pastry chef Frida Bäcke for the 2024 banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
14 (of 14) Frida is fittingly the name of one of the apple varieties chosen by pastry chef Frida Bäcke for the 2024 banquet dessert.
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Dan Lepp
Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2024
Q & A: Nobel Prize award ceremony and banquet 2024
Questions and answers about the Nobel Prize award ceremony and banquet in Stockholm on 10 December 2024.
Who has been invited from the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) and government to the Nobel Prize award ceremony and banquet?
The entire Swedish government has been invited to the Nobel Prize award ceremony at Konserthuset (Stockholm Concert Hall). Among those Swedish officials invited to both the award ceremony and the banquet are the speaker of Parliament, the prime minister, the minister for foreign affairs, the minister for culture, the minister for finance and the minister for education, as well as the chairperson of the General Council of the Riksbank (Swedish central bank). The party leaders of all parties that are represented in the Riksdag have also been invited to both the award ceremony and the banquet.
Have all party leaders said they will attend?
The Nobel Foundation usually tells which official representatives have been invited but does not comment on which individuals accept or decline the invitation.
Will the prime minister be coming?
On 9 December, the seating of banquet guests at the table of honour will be published. It will show which members of the Swedish government are attending.
How many guests may the Nobel Prize laureates bring?
Each laureate may bring a significant other and a party of 14 more people, for a total of 16 people.
Who will be present from the Swedish Royal Court?
This year the King, the Queen, the Crown Princess, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill will attend.
Which representatives from the diplomatic corps have been invited?
This year, the Nobel Foundation’s Board of Directors has decided that the diplomatic corps will be represented by its doyen, in other words the ambassador who has been in Sweden the longest and who, according to protocol, will represent the entire diplomatic corps. In addition, the ambassadors representing the countries of the laureates and Norway’s ambassador will be invited to both the Nobel Prize award ceremony and the banquet.
This means that in 2024 the ambassador of Hungary, who has been in Sweden the longest, is being invited. In addition, Canada, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and Norway are being invited.
Have media representatives been invited to the Nobel Prize award ceremony and banquet?
Yes, about 25 Swedish and international journalists will be attending, as well as about ten photographers from news agencies.
Who else has been invited?
Previous laureates who will be in Stockholm have been invited, as well as representatives from the prize awarding institutions. Other attendees will be people who participate in one way or another in the work of the Nobel Prize, benefit science as donors or provide support in various ways to the Nobel Foundation and the prize awarding institutions or the public entities in the Nobel sphere.
How many guests will attend the award ceremony and the banquet?
There will be 1,560 guests attending the award ceremony and approximately 1,250 guests at the banquet.
Frågor och svar om Nobelprisutdelning och bankett i Stockholm den 10 december 2024
Vilka bjuds in från riksdag och regering till Nobelprisutdelning och bankett?
Till Nobelprisutdelningen i Konserthuset bjuds hela den svenska regeringen in. Till både prisutdelning och bankett bjuds exempelvis talman, statsminister, utrikesminister, kulturminister, finansminister och utbildningsminister samt Riksbanksfullmäktiges ordförande. Även partiledarna för alla partier som har representation i riksdagen bjuds in till både prisutdelning och bankett.
Har alla partiledare tackat ja?
Nobelstiftelsen brukar berätta vilka officiella representanter som bjuds in men kommenterar inte vilka individer som tackar ja eller nej.
Kommer statsministern?
Den 9 december publiceras placeringen av gäster på honnörsbordet. Där framgår vilka från regeringen som deltar.
Hur många gäster får Nobelpristagarna ta med sig?
Pristagarna får ta med sig en partner samt ett sällskap om ytterligare 14 personer, totalt 16 personer.
Vilka närvarar från Kungahuset?
I år deltar Kungen, Drottningen, Kronprinsessan, Prins Daniel, Prins Carl Philip, Prinsessan Sofia, Prinsessan Madeleine och Christopher O’Neill.
Vilka representanter bjuds in från den diplomatiska kåren?
I år företräds den diplomatiska kåren av Doyen, dvs den ambassadör som har varit längst i Sverige och som enligt protokollet representerar hela den diplomatiska kåren. Utöver det bjuds de ambassadörer in som representerar pristagarnas länder samt Norges ambassadör till både Nobelprisutdelning och bankett.
Det innebär i år att Ungerns ambassadör, som varit längst i Sverige, bjuds in. Samt att ambassadörerna för Kanada, Sydkorea, Turkiet, Storbritannien, USA, Japan och Norge bjuds in.
Bjuds media in till Nobelprisutdelning och bankett?
Ja, cirka 25 svenska och internationella journalister deltar liksom ett tiotal fotografer från nyhetsbyråer.
Vilka bjuds mer in?
Tidigare pristagare som är i Stockholm bjuds in samt representanter från de prisutdelande institutionerna. Andra deltagare är personer, som på ett eller annat sätt deltar i arbetet med Nobelpriset, gynnar vetenskapen som donatorer eller på olika sätt ger sitt stöd till Nobelstiftelsen och de prisutdelande institutionerna eller de publika enheterna inom Nobelsfären.
Hur många gäster närvarar vid prisutdelning respektive bankett?
Det är 1 560 gäster som närvarar vid prisutdelningen och cirka 1 250 gäster vid banketten.
Opening address – 1996
Speech by Professor Bengt Samuelsson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Nobel Foundation. (Translation of the Swedish text.)
Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Nobel Foundation, I welcome you to the 1996 Prize Award Ceremony. I would especially like to welcome this year’s laureates to the Nobel festivities in Stockholm. Our thoughts are also in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is being awarded today.
In 1996, one hundred years have passed since the death of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Foundation has therefore decided that this year’s Prize Award Ceremony should be specially dedicated to honoring the memory of Nobel.
With this in mind, my opening address will consist of a biographical sketch of Alfred Nobel.
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833. His parents were Andrietta and Immanuel Nobel. At that time, Stockholm was characterized by poverty and depression. Alfred’s father, who was a building contractor, was forced in to bankruptcy the same year that Alfred was born.
Immanuel Nobel was always feverishly active as an inventor. His inventions were often more imaginative than useful. When Stockholm’s first natural rubber factory was established, for example, he invented a combination soldier’s rucksack, mattress, floating sack and pontoon section, made of inflatable elastic rubber.
A few years after his bankruptcy, Immanuel Nobel – under heavy pressure from his creditors – fled to St. Petersburg, Russia. He left the rest of the family – in Stockholm. Not until five years later was he able to send for his family. At that time, Alfred was nine years old. The following years, which he spent in St. Petersburg, were of crucial importance to his education and development.
In an almost improbably short period, Alfred’s father had built up a successful mechanical engineering company in Russia. Because of their newfound prosperity, Immanuel and Andrietta Nobel were able to give their sons a first-class education. Among Alfred’s teachers was Nikolai Zinin, a professor of chemistry. Alfred also received extensive training in languages. Aside from Swedish and Russian, he also mastered German, English and French. He had strong intellectual interests and was particularly devoted to literature and philosophy. During this period, Alfred gave the impression of being a mature, unusually intelligent, dreamy and introverted young man.
At the age of seventeen, Alfred was sent out on an extensive study trip that lasted two years. It took him to North America, France, Germany and Italy. It has been said that Alfred’s strong interest in literature, especially poetry, contributed to his father’s decision to send him on this journey. Immanuel hoped that Alfred would thereby develop an interest in inventions and entrepreneurship – activities that were highly respected in the Nobel household. Alfred later wrote the following about his travels: “In my early youth, when I confidently left home for faraway lands beyond the sea, and when the ocean spread before me in its vastness, remarkably enough, I did not perceive this experience as new, for in my imagination I had already seen far wider oceans.”
In many respects, his journey to the French capital was crucial to Alfred’s future. In Paris he spent much of his time in the laboratory of Professor T. J. Pelouze, where his teacher Professor Zinin had also studied. The events surrounded Alfred Nobel’s stay in Paris illustrate how scientific networking operated, long before the advent of modern information technology.
The Swedish chemist Berzelius corresponded with Pelouze and knew what was happening at the latter’s Paris laboratory. One day, Berzelius received a visitor – a general in the Sardinian artillery named Carlo R. Sobrero. Berzelius advised the general to send his nephew, Ascanio Sobrero, who was interested in explosives, to Paris to study new explosive substances under the tutelage of Pelouze. Some years later, in 1846, Sobrero discovered and synthesized nitroglycerine in Turin. Afterwards Sobrero also visited Pelouze’s laboratory. When Alfred arrived in Paris for his studies in chemistry, he therefore learned about nitroglycerine and its properties.
A few years after Alfred returned home to St. Petersburg, his father was again forced into bankruptcy. Immanuel Nobel returned to Stockholm, where he devoted himself among other things to continuing the nitroglycerine experiments he had begun with Alfred in St. Petersburg. For this purpose, he established a small laboratory at Heleneborg on the outskirts of Stockholm.
Immanuel Nobel lacked the capital and scientific training to pursue these experiments. When Alfred joined him in Stockholm, he was able to supply both. During a trip to Paris in 1861, Alfred had managed to raise a loan of 100,000 francs for the commercialization of nitroglycerine . He identified the main problem in the use of nitroglycerine-detonation. In 1863 Alfred Nobel came up with his first epoch-making invention, the “Nobel patent detonator”. This was developed into a metal blasting cap and loaded with mercury fulminate and marked the introduction of what Alfred called the “initial igniter” principle. One expert described this as “the greatest discovery that has ever been made in the theory and practice of explosives”.
The development of nitroglycerine as an explosive was not risk-free, and many unexpected explosions occurred. The worst accident for the Nobel family took place in 1864 at Heleneborg. Five people died, among them Alfred’s younger brother Emil, aged 20, a recent secondary school graduate. Alfred continued his work, however. He established a company called Nitroglycerin AB in Stockholm, but in 1865 he moved to Germany and built a nitroglycerine factory outside Hamburg. Because of the recurrent and tragic accidental explosions, Alfred Nobel now focused his efforts on developing safer forms of nitroglycerine. By adding diatomaceous earth (known in German as Kieselguhr), he invented a safe, easily handled explosive that could be molded into different shapes. Nobel himself named the new explosive dynamite, from the Greek word dynamis meaning power.
Many previously unrealistic projects could now be implemented with the aid of dynamite. Among the first such gigantic undertakings was the St. Gotthard railroad tunnel through the Swiss Alps. With the advent of dynamite, Nobel’s company began a rapid expansion. He remained at its helm, working as an inventor as well as financier and industrialist. The success of dynamite yielded its inventor and his company a substantial income.
In 1873 Nobel moved to Paris. He had known that city well ever since his youthful study trip there. At that time, Paris was not only a center of culture but also played a major role in the international business world. Nobel bought an elegant mansion on the Avenue Malakoff, built a stable for his fine imported Russian horses and, as always, installed a laboratory next to the house.
Another important invention was made at his private laboratory in Paris: blasting gelatin. The kieselguhr in dynamite dampened its explosive effect and had other drawbacks. Nobel therefore looked for new ways of making nitroglycerine safe and effective. In 1875 he did further work on an earlier idea – dissolving cellulose nitrate or guncotton in nitroglycerine. This method did not work, however. One day, Nobel happened to cut a finger and applied collodion to the wound. That night, he woke up because of the pain. It occurred to him that he could mix cellulose nitrate with a lower degree of nitration, precisely the kind found in collodion, with nitroglycerine. He hurried down to his laboratory at four o’clock in the morning and made the first batch of blasting gelatin. This ingenious invention was, in many respects, the ideal explosive. It had a greater explosive power than pure nitroglycerine and was not especially sensitive to shock. The product was soon being made at most of Nobel’s dynamite factories and was the most effective explosive for several decades.
Another discovery that Nobel made in Paris was of decisive importance for the remaining course of his life. In the 1880s there was great interest in developing a less smoky military explosive. In this field, too, Nobel left his competitors behind by patenting a smokeless gunpowder in 1887. He named it ballistite. The discovery attracted great attention among military officials in various countries. Nobel offered his patent to the French gunpowder monopoly, which turned him down. As a result, it was the Italian government that bought the patent for ballistite. This led, in turn, to a campaign in France against Nobel. Among other things, he was accused of industrial espionage. Nobel decided to leave France, and he moved to Italy in 1891. There he settled in a villa in San Remo. As usual, he built a laboratory where he could continue his experiments.
Alfred Nobel’s 60th birthday in 1893 was a full work day, without celebrations. His journal revealed that he spent the day working on: “patents for the soundless discharging of a gun”, “elimination of disturbing sounds in the phonograph” and “thinking about purchasing the Swedish mill Bofors”.
It did not take him long to move from thought to action. In 1894 he bought AB Bofors-Gullspång in western Sweden, including an iron mill and a weapons factory. He established his residence in the nearby Björkborn manor house. To be able to perform his usual experiments, he built a laboratory there. Its work was led by his trusted young assistant, Ragnar Sohlman.
Alfred Nobel searched indefatigably for new ideas and projects that could lead to the development of new techniques or products. In this way, he thought he could promote economic growth and improved living standards. Despite his huge success as an inventor and world-class industrialist, Alfred Nobel was often preoccupied with thoughts about the purpose of his life.
During his final years, Nobel developed the idea of creating a prize that would encourage scientific progress, thereby improving the human condition. In his last will and testament, dated November 27, 1895, Nobel specified how the portion of his estate to be used for such prizes would be distributed.
The Physics and Chemistry Prizes are connected to Nobel’s activities as an inventor and entrepreneur. Because of his work in a wide variety of fields, he understood the role of new advances in physics and chemistry in leading to various kinds of technical progress. He entrusted the task of choosing the laureates in physics and chemistry to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Nobel had a great interest in the medical sciences. He had even established a medical research laboratory in Sevran, outside Paris, where he and the Swedish physiologist J.E. Johansson worked with projects related to blood transfusion. Nobel entrusted the Karolinska Institute with the task of awarding a Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The fact that Nobel included physiology in the medicine prize indicates that he realized the role of basic research in bringing about medical progress.
Since his youth, Alfred Nobel had been strongly interested in literature. He owned a library that included literary works in most major world languages. When he allowed the Nobel Prizes to include Literature as well, as with the other prizes this reflected Nobel’s interests, personality and belief that the fields covered by his prizes were important to the future of humanity. In his youth, he was especially drawn to poetry. Among other things, he wrote a poem in English, called “A Riddle”. It begins as follows:
“You say I am a riddle – it may be
For all of us are riddles unexplained.
Begun in pain, in deeper torture ended,
This breathing clay what business has it here?
Some petty wants to chain us to the earth,
Some lofty thoughts to lift us to the spheres
And cheat us with that semblance of a soul
To dream of immortality, till Time
O’er empty visions draws the closing veil”
Nobel entrusted the Swedish Academy with the task of awarding the Prize in Literature.
The origins of the fifth Prize – for efforts to promote brotherhood of nations – can be traced to Nobel’s great interest in the peace movement.
At an early age, he had been influenced by Shelley in this area, but it was probably his friendship with Bertha von Suttner that was most important. von Suttner awakened Nobel’s interest in the working methods and goals of the new peace movement. The understanding he thereby gained was probably a major influence on the wording of his 1895 will, which shifted the focus of the Peace Prize outlined in an earlier will. The Norwegian Parliament, or Storting, appoints a committee which awards the Peace Prize. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. Today the prizes that have been awarded so far represent developments in the various Nobel Prize fields stretching across nearly a whole century. As their impact has grown, the Nobel Prizes have focused international attention on the sciences, literature and peace, and they have epitomized the value of creative and intellectual activity to humanity. Today, as we honor the memory of Alfred Nobel, we honor a man of many outstanding qualities. Nobel was not only a scientist and inventor, but also a business leader and a humanist. Through his will and his donation, he demonstrated that his vision was to work for the benefit of humanity. His donation has very much fulfilled its purpose.
Opening address – 1993
Speech by Professor Bengt Samuelsson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Nobel Foundation. (Translation of the Swedish text.)
Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Nobel Foundation, I welcome all of you to the 1993 Prize Award Ceremony. Nobel Day, December 10, has become a national day of celebration. The Swedish Royal Family, Government and Parliament are represented here, along with people from many segments of our society. However, the Nobel festivities are not only a national affair. Over the years, Nobel laureates have come from different corners of the world and representatives of many countries have honoured us with their presence. This year, the international character of the Nobel festivities has been strengthened further by inviting a number of foreign cultural personalities and members of the scientific and scholarly community.
Alfred Nobel was an inventor and an international industrialist. He searched tirelessly for ideas that could provide the basis for new products or methods with commercial value. In this way, he hoped to promote economic growth and better living conditions. Nobel realized that a continuous flow of new knowledge is needed to ensure technological progress, and that the day this flow diminishes or ceases, the material resources of society also stop growing. The Nobel Prizes for the most important discoveries in the fields of physics and chemistry should be seen in this light.
Nobel was also interested in medical questions. In his laboratory journals, he frequently made notations about ideas that should be tested in order to “alleviate or cure illnesses.” He designated the medical prize as being “for the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine,” which indicates that here too, Nobel realized the significance of basic research.
This year, symposia are being held in many places to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the double helical structure of DNA. Two young researchers, a 36-year-old Briton named Francis Crick and a 24-year old American named James Watson, decisively influenced the course of biological and medical research. Their famous 1953 article in the journal Nature, describing the structure of DNA, closed with one of the greatest understatements in the scientific literature: “It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.”
For their work concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids, Crick and Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Maurice Wilkins of Britain. Wilkins had used X-ray diffraction techniques to demonstrate that DNA chains were arranged in the form of twisted spirals. On the basis of this knowledge, Watson and Crick explained how these spirals were connected into pairs.
Their Nobel Prize could just as well have been awarded in the field of chemistry, illustrating how close to each other these two prize categories sometimes come. For a number of years, the prize committees in chemistry and medicine have also held annual joint meetings to decide the field in which certain proposed candidates should be classified.
The work of Watson and Crick also clearly illustrates that most scientific discoveries usually do not occur merely as the result of observations using modern techniques. It is important to have an idea that stretches beyond what is known and accepted. Scientific progress is often made because a researcher visualizes something no one has previously seen or for which there is actually no direct support. In the case of Watson and Crick, this is highly apparent. They conducted no experiments, but engaged in lively discussions between themselves and with others at their laboratory, and occasionally they built models. It reached the point that when an extra room became available at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, the directors of the laboratory, Max Perutz and John Kendrew, told Crick: “We are going to put Jim and you in the same office, and you can talk to each other and not disturb the rest of us.” One illustration of the need for both new methods and ideas to ensure scientific progress is the fact that Perutz and Kendrew received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry the same year that Watson and Crick were awarded the Prize in Medicine.
Crick’s and Watson’s 1953 article laid the groundwork for the branch of science known today as molecular biology, Since then the pace of progress has been dazzling, and we are penetrating more deeply into the processes that control human evolution and functions. Yet as Crick has pointed out, the decades during which we have been aware of the structure of DNA are almost like a blink of the eye compared with the hundreds of millions of years that RNA and DNA have existed in all forms of life.
Scientific discoveries play a key role in the evolution of modern society. To a researcher, the moments when scientific discoveries occur are the most stimulating of his or her life. According to one widespread view it is impossible, in the true sense, to predict discoveries. It is important for those who plan research programs at various levels to realize this. The everyday work of science consists of conducting observations or experiments aimed at finding out whether our hypotheses bear any resemblance to reality. In other words, a creative imagination underlies every real improvement in our knowledge. It was not a scientist or philosopher, but a poet, who first classified this intellectual activity and found the right word to describe it. The poet was Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the word was poesis, meaning the art of creation.
Using this broader definition of the word, Shelley declared in his famous essay “A Defense of Poetry” that poetry encompasses all science. He thus placed scientific creativity on an equal footing with the form of creativity we ordinarily associate with literature or the fine arts. Shelley also believed that a person cannot say “I shall write poetry.” Not even the greatest poets can say that. In the same way, a scientist cannot say “I shall make a scientific discovery.” Not even the greatest scientists can say that.
Shelley also served as a major inspiration for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Even as a young man, Alfred Nobel had been stimulated by Shelley’s poetry and influenced by his philosophy of life. When Nobel wrote his drama Nemesis in 1895, there was a clear kinship with Shelley’s Renaissance tragedy The Cenci. Both works were expressions of self-pity, something the misanthropic Alfred Nobel felt at that time.
Nobel’s interest in literature, and his own literary ambitions, probably influenced his inclusion of a Nobel Prize in Literature in his final 1895 will. This decision provided a welcome opportunity to honor and encourage prominent writers. At the same time, the Nobel prizes thereby reflected Alfred Nobel’s personality in a more complete way.
Shelley is also of interest in another context. Nobel’s great passion for the cause of peace had been stimulated by Shelley’s clear stand against the madness of war. Nobel often speculated about the effects of deterrent weapons and uttered to Bertha von Suttner the now familiar words, “I would like to invent something, a machine or a substance, that would achieve such frightening mass destruction that war would become an impossibility for all time.” Von Suttner nevertheless awakened Nobel’s interest in the goals and working methods of the new peace movement. In 1892, he also participated in a peace congress in Bern. It was probably somewhat later the same year, during an excursion on Lake Zurich with von Suttner and her husband on Nobel’s yacht “Mignon” that the idea of the Peace Prize was born. Today, the Nobel Prize for efforts to promote peace is being awarded in Oslo, Norway, and we send our kindest wishes to the laureates and other participants in that ceremony.
In closing, I would like to thank the prize-awarding institutions for their extensive and important work. They have fulfilled the awesome task of serving as an international forum to assess the performance of candidates in scientific and literary fields, or of efforts to promote peace. I would also like to extend a special welcome to the 1993 Nobel Laureates and express our appreciation and gratitude for your outstanding efforts. Your work for the benefit of humanity has made a vital contribution to the prestige and international stature of the Nobel Prizes. I would like to convey our warmest gratitude for this on behalf of the Nobel Foundation.