Physics
The Nobel Prize in physics this year was given to Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt and Adam G. Riess for “ the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae”. This is a very important contribution to astrophysics and has widespread implications. The fact that the Universe is expanding was discovered almost a century ago in the 1920’s by Edwin Hubble and other scientists. One would presume the expansion rate of the Universe should slow down due to the attractive force of gravity. On the contrary, this year’s Nobel Laureates’ work has revealed that the Universe is in fact expanding at an increasingly fast rate (i.e. accelerating), in opposition to Einstein’s equations for the homogenous and isotropic Universe. The scientists used Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation for type Ia supernovae to test their claims experimentally. This was done using the COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite which is in fact the subject of a previous Nobel Prize (2006). This seemingly innocuous discovery has far-reaching implications on the understanding of “dark energy”, which is thought to comprise 74% of the Universe and may even take us one step closer to ending our energy dependence on fossil fuels.
Chemistry
Dan Schetman received the prestigious Nobel Prize in chemistry for “the discovery of Quasicrystals”. Quasiperiodicity of crystals is analogous to decorative tiling in medieval Islamic mosques. This discovery ushered in a paradign shift in the field of crystallography. A quasicrystal is a structure that is ordered but not periodic. There are a lot of mathematical theorems to explain the diffraction patterns resulting from these crystals and only recently have we been able to model the positions of atoms within. Despite the first investigations into quasicrystals almost fifty years ago, only recently has their potential been uncovered. There are many novel properties of quasicrystals that could be exploited for future research. For example, due to the highly-ordered crystal structure, electronic propagation in these crystals is further enhanced by phonons and Bloch waves, opening up a new avenue of research for semiconductor materials. Additionally, these crystals have a small surface energy, which reduces adhesion and cohesion thus highly reducing friction. Quasicrystals have also been reported to naturally occur in geological samples from Khatyrka river in Russia (deriving their name khatyrkite).
Physiology/Medicine
This year, the Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded to three scientists. The official release states that “the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011 shall be divided, with one half jointly to Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity and the other half to the late Ralph M. Steinman for his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity”. There was great controversy as this was one of the few times a Nobel Prize has been awarded posthumously. The subjects of these Nobel Prizes have important implications in healthcare. Understanding what our body does and replicating it for fighting diseases is essential for development of the entire human race. Autoimmune diseases like AIDS can be circumvented by a complete understanding of immunity and the way our body normally handles pathogens. The research of this year’s Nobel Prize recipients has paved the way for development of novel drugs and vaccines which are more effective and posses fewer undesirable side effects. Additionally, with market analysis pointing to the fall in use of small molecules as drugs, there is an ever growing market for protein- and nucleic acid-based remedies that mimic the mechanisms of action of the innate immunological responses of these pathological pathways.
Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 was awarded to Tomas Tranströmer “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality”. Tomas Tranströmer is often called the most important influence to Swedish literature and has influenced creativity all over Scandinavia. He published his first selection of poems in 1954 and has since made an everlasting contribution to poetry. In the 1960s, he used to work as a psychologist assisting the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. In 1984, Tranströmer went to Bhopal, India when he heard about the tragic loss of life due to toxic fumes from an industrial accident. He took part in a poetry reading session alongside noted Indian poets to express solidarity with and to commemorate those who died in the disaster. Furthermore, it has been recently revealed that his contributions were so valuable that he had been nominated to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in literature every year since 1993. His study of psychology influences his poetry and is shown as he reveals the mystical intricacies of human mind through seemingly simple imagery from everyday life. Despite a debilitating paralytic stroke that left Tranströmer unable to speak, he continued to write and publish poetry until the early 21st century. Tranströmer became the first Swede recipient of the prize since 1974, despite the Swedish origin of the award.
Economics
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2011 was awarded jointly to Thomas J. Sargent and Christopher A. Sims “for their empirical research on cause and effect in the macroeconomy”. In an economic season like this, work of economists like the recipients of this year’s Prize in Economic Sciences is of prime importance in order to maintain a stable atmosphere of growth and success in a nation. These economists are famous for their studies of the effect of economic policy on the health of a nation’s economy by studying the relationships among GDP, Inflation, Employment and other such parameters. The tools and methods developed by both Sargent and Sims are essential in macroeconomic analysis and are used the world over by both researchers as well as policymakers. Understanding the two-way relationship between policy and economics will influence future decisions about wages, savings and investments.
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