Articles tagged as Nobel Prizes | Smithsonian Magazine

The Nobel-prize winning Chilean poet died 2 weeks after the brutal Pinochet regime took power in his country

October 25, 2017

A shot from the famed 1965 film version of Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago"

How Boris Pasternak Won and Lost the Nobel Prize

Today in 1958, the “Doctor Zhivago” author won the Nobel Prize, but the Soviets made sure he never got it

October 23, 2017

Eight hundred pounds of dynamite exploding.

The Man Who Invented Nitroglycerin Was Horrified By Dynamite

Alfred Nobel–yes, that Nobel–commercialized it, but inventor Asciano Sobrero thought nitroglycerin was too destructive to be useful

October 12, 2017

Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), poses at the headquarters of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), in Geneva, Switzerland.

The grassroots coalition spearheaded a U.N. treaty to outlaw nuclear arms and hopes to make them taboo, like chemical weapons

October 6, 2017

Mad cow disease, like other prion diseases, is still not fully understood.

More Than 30 Years Since Their Discovery, Prions Still Fascinate, Terrify and Mystify Us

Figuring out what they were was just the beginning of a field of research into prions and prion diseases that’s still growing

October 6, 2017

British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro during a press conference at his home in London, Thursday Oct. 5, 2017.

The author of The Remains of the Day and seven other books explores themes of memory, time and self-deception

October 5, 2017

A graphic showing the high image resolutions achieved with cryo-electron microscopy

Method for Capturing the Smallest Details of Life Nabs Chemistry Nobel

With cryo-electron microscopy, tiny living molecules can be seen in their natural states

October 4, 2017

The trio is the leading force behind the massive pair of detectors that can measures ripples in the fabric of space-time smaller than the width of a proton

October 3, 2017

Circadian rhythms dictate the patterns of sleep and wakefulness for much of life on Earth

Circadian rhythms dictate the daily patterns of life on Earth, and understanding these patterns is crucial to overall health

October 2, 2017

The Perks and Pitfalls of Being a Nobel Laureate: Early Mornings, Performance Anxiety

On the plus side, at UC Berkeley you get free parking

October 2, 2017

Is this cat a liquid or a solid? One researcher is on a hunt for answers.

A parody of the prestigious Nobel Prizes, the awards celebrate research that makes people laugh, then think

September 15, 2017

Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullmann reads from the words of Liu Xiaobo when he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Xiaobo was imprisoned and unable to accept the award.

Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo Dies at Age 61

The human rights activist spent his final years in Chinese custody

July 13, 2017

Bob Dylan has finally delivered his Nobel Prize lecture.

The reclusive singer-songwriter muses on literature and music in characteristic style

June 5, 2017

John Cohen photographs a young Bob Dylan playing his guitar and harmonica in New York City in 1962.

Bob Dylan Will (Finally) Collect his Nobel Prize for Literature

But the songwriter won’t be delivering a Nobel Lecture at this time

March 29, 2017

Vera Rubin makes observations through the Flagstaff Telescope.

Her observations confirmed the theory of dark matter, and her activism helped open science to more women

December 27, 2016

Patrons of the sciences once offered cash prizes, exotic pets and even islands for world-changing discoveries. Here, Louis XIV surveys the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1667.

For Your Contributions to Science, I Humbly Bequeath You This Pet Moose

A history of motivating scientific endeavor through cash prizes, islands and exotic pets

December 23, 2016

The Nobel Prize, named after the repentant creator of dynamite, has been awarded nearly every year since 1901.

What Does It Take to Win a Nobel Prize? Four Winners, in Their Own Words

Some answers: Messiness, ignorance and puzzles

December 9, 2016

Poetry Matters

Is Bob Dylan a Poet?

As the enigmatic singer, songwriter and troubadour takes the Nobel Prize in literature, one scholar ponders what his work is all about

October 13, 2016

Trending Today

Five Things to Know About Bob Dylan

When it comes to awards, the times are a’ changin’—and now the iconic musician is a Nobel laureate

October 13, 2016

As Colombia faces an uncertain future, the Nobel Committee recognizes its president who has worked to broker peace

October 7, 2016