The Nobel Prize
TheNobel Prize an international award given each year to honor outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and for work in peace. The award is maintained by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, named afterAlfred Nobel(1833-1896), a scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author and pacifist. At the age of 17, Alfred Nobel spoke five languages fluently. He went on to become an inventor and businessman, and at the time of his death, he had 355 patents worldwide, one which was the patent for dynamite. More importantly, he had started 87 companies world-wide. He had an unprecedented idea for his wealth. See http://www.nobelprize.orgfor additional information.
In his last will, dated November 27, 1895, Nobel left instructions for the prize. After leaving sums of monies to various friends and relatives, Nobel stated in his will, "The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medical work by the Caroline Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm, and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be a Scandinavian or not."
The first five Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. In 1969, another prize was added: "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel."
Many of the contributions of Nobel laureates are discussed throughout these concepts. The contributions from the physiology or medicine are directly related to the life sciences, as are selected contributions from the chemistry prize.
