25. Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity
We owe much of what we know about how the universe works to Albert Einstein.
The fact that time and space are interconnected, and objects like black holes, planets, and even you and me can affect it just as they affect us, is a huge brain idea that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Einstein discovered and mathematically proved it, a whole century ago.
For context, in those days, the passenger pigeon was still the fastest form of communication. No wonder the Scientific Committee soon awarded him the Nobel Prize.
24. Elwin Schrödinger's Theory of the Atom
Elvin Schrödinger—yes, that's the same person behind Schrödinger's cat concept—he helped devise a theory that revolutionized the way we look at atoms.
His contributions laid the foundation for what we call the field of quantum mechanics. For this, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1933.
23.Zhores I. Alferov 和 Herbert Kroemer 的半导体异质结构
It sounds a bit of a mouthful now, but their discovery led to the advent of the digital age.
I will try to explain this concept as simply as possible. Think of colorful LEGO bricks – each representing a different type of semiconductor. The blocks that make up the structure are the chips. Now, by combining these blocks in different ways, we get chips that can do more than monochrome chips. The result is that our electronics can build more efficient, smaller chips this way.
Their theories were actually well ahead of their time, having been developed in the 50s. Because, at that time, most computers were still based on vacuum tubes, and they took up the size of the entire room.
The two scientists will share the Nobel Prize in 2000.
22. Marie Curie's work on radioactivity
Cancer treatment? X-ray diagnosis? Medical sterilization? Or even space exploration?
None of this would have been possible without the pioneering work of Marie Curie, a Polish woman. Her contributions to the field of radioactivity made her the first woman to win the Nobel Prize twice, in 1903 and 1911.
A curious fact: she is still the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in two different fields: physics and chemistry.
21. Harold Clayton Yuri discovers heavy hydrogen
Can atoms of the same element be different?
Well, Harold Urey asked the same question and found that the answer was indeed yes.
His research led to the discovery of heavy hydrogen, which we use to make heavy water. This is water used to cool nuclear reactors and various medical diagnostics.
In 1934, he was awarded the highest honor.
20. James Chadwick discovers neutrons
Back in the 20s, the established theory was that the inconsistencies observed in atomic radiation experiments were caused by gamma rays. James Chadwick Says: No!!
So he quickly did a series of experiments to prove his claim. This led to the discovery of the neutron, which revolutionized the field of chemistry. A few years after the completion of his research, he was awarded this distinguished medal.
19. Willard Frank Libby's method of radiocarbon dating
What is old? How do we know that dinosaur bones dug up from the ground are actually 65 million years old, not 6,000 years old?
Well, thanks to Willard Frank Libby.
He found that all living matter contained trace amounts of carbon-14 and decreased at a constant rate after death. So, by analyzing how much it has decreased, you can also find out when it disappeared.
In 1960, RLB was awarded the Medal.
18.保罗· J·克鲁岑 (Paul J. Crutzen) 及其同事发现臭氧层损耗
Take a good look at these guys. If you are alive today, please thank them. Why?
Because these brilliant scientists discovered that human activity is actually depleting the Earth's ozone layer, and it is prompting world leaders to take real action.
In 1995 they deserved this award.
17.约翰·古迪纳夫公司 (John Goodenough and Co.) 开发的锂离子电池
Lithium-ion batteries are now changing the industry, and the birth of lithium-ion batteries would not have been possible without John Goodenough and his fellow scientists, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino.
Like many on this list, they were ahead of their time, pioneering the study back in the 70s. It wasn't until 2019, when the true meaning of their work became known, that they received this prestigious recognition.
16. Frederick Banting and Charles Best discover insulin
Diabetes is a growing problem worldwide – and without the efforts of these two people, many of us with this disease would not even be able to survive. Their discovery of insulin has allowed previously fatal diseases to be treated.
For this, they received the recognition they deserved in 1923.
15. Sir Frederick Goland Hopkins discovers vitamins
Do you know what other contributions are saving millions of lives right now?
The discovery of vitamins. In less enlightened times, strange physical weakness and sudden illness were blamed as a result of a bad spirit or evil eye. But thanks to Sir Hopkins, we now know that these conditions arise because we are not taking vitamins, which are essential for our normal functioning.
Anyway, he received the award in 1929 for his research.
14. The discovery of the Carl Landsteiner blood group
Now, you might be thinking "What is the significance of blood type?" "Dear readers, in the medical process, our bodies do not accept any donor organs or blood at all. It must come from the right blood type!
Karl Landsteiner received this award in 1930 for his valuable research.
13. Max Taylor's yellow fever vaccine
Today, despite the fact that nearly a billion people live in areas where the disease is common, we have barely heard of fatal cases of yellow fever. Thanks to the work of Dr. Max Theiler, who developed a vaccine against this viral disease in 1937.
Fourteen years later, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine as his contribution became apparent.
12.塞尔曼·瓦克斯曼 (Selman Waksman) 发现链霉素
Yellow fever was not the only big killer at the time.
In fact, one in four people often dies from tuberculosis, which is today's tuberculosis. Well, until this guy from Selman Waxman showed up on the scene. His tireless research led to the discovery of streptomycin. This is the first antibiotic known to be effective against this disease.
In 1952, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements.
11.Katalin Karikó 和 Drew Weissman 发现 mRNA 介导的免疫激活
In the early 2000s, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman's work led to a major breakthrough in the field of genetic science – their work became the basis for all current mRNA-based research. Just earlier this year, they received this prestigious honor.
10. George Bernard Shaw's literary style
Imagine that the way you write is so legendary that the Nobel Prize Committee awarded you an award in 1925.
But there's a curious fact that the acclaimed Irish playwright initially struggled to gain a foothold in the writing world. However, that didn't stop him from eventually reaching great heights, dear viewer, the same thing can happen to you, so please don't give up on your goals.
9. Mario Vargas Llosa
One of Latin America's most acclaimed novelists, he has been praised for his numerous works on the theme of personal resistance and rebellion against tyranny.
He was eventually notified by the Nobel Prize Committee, which awarded him the award in 2010.
8. Abdelrazak Guna's writings on colonialism and its effects
Abdulrazak Gurnah's numerous works explore themes of how colonialism shaped societies and affected individuals, including perceptions of self-image. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021 for his writings.
7. Malala Yousafzai's work in girls' education
When it comes to individual struggles, women's rights have come a long way. However, there are still many parts of the world where women are denied even basic rights, including the right to education.
Malala Yousafzai lives in such a place, but she not only tries to rebel against restrictions, but also actively advocates for women's right to education. Her activism almost took her life.
However, she survived in the end, and the incident only ended up making her activism internationally famous. She received this distinction back in 2014.
6. Thomas Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations
Before there was the United Nations, there was the League of Nations. The 28th president of the United States was developed after the devastation caused by World War I, in the hope that through it a future conflict between the great powers would be averted.
The Nobel Prize was quickly awarded to him in 1919. But...... The point is, we all know how "successful" the results are. However, it is significant because it is the first truly international governmental organization. It set a precedent for the new world order that emerged after the Second World War.
5. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Wilson's vision was truly realized when the aftermath of World War II saw how important international governmental institutions were in responding to the crisis. Take, for example, the newly established United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. After the war, there were countless displaced refugees in Europe and East Asia. UNHCR has played a vital role in providing much-needed assistance to those affected. Because they helped save millions of lives, they deservedly received this award in 1954.
4. Aung San Suu Kyi's nonviolent movement
After the end of World War II, much of Europe finally began to embrace democracy. However, for most people in the world, this has remained a distant wish for decades.
Myanmar is one such example, and the woman here, Aung San Suu Kyi, has dedicated her life to bringing democracy to the country through nonviolent movements. Her contributions were recognized by the Nobel Prize Committee and she was awarded this distinguished medal in 1991.
3. World Food Programme
Historically, it was not just wars that killed most people, but also food shortages.
Well, until we create a system in which the international community can intervene to provide relief to areas suffering from famine. The World Food Programme (WFP) is one such system that helps ensure that millions of people around the world do not die of mass hunger.
Understandably, for an organization that saves countless lives every year, it is well deserved that they finally won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
2. Nargis Mohammadi's Women's Rights Movement
Another pioneer of women's rights on our list is Narges Mohammadi. Like Malala, she comes from a region notorious for human rights violations. She has been beaten, imprisoned and threatened with death, but she remains steadfast in her fight for greater rights for Iranian women. This year, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1. Paul Krugman's contribution to trade theory.
It just so happens that there is also a Nobel Prize in Economics for those who don't know.
Popular economic theories tell us that countries tend to export goods in which they have a comparative advantage.
However, Paul observes that this is not the case. In fact, most of the trade takes place between countries that produce similar products. His book, which literally means "New Trade Theory," has greatly improved our understanding of international economic and industrial development.
In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Prize.