This same reasoning kind of applies to everyone on this list though. If they'd just lived longer a lot of them could have eventually won a prize. I think the i

This same reasoning kind of applies to everyone on this list though. If they'd just lived longer a lot of them could have eventually won a prize. I think the implicit argument this list is making is that it's not fair to exclude people just because they died. We are after all recognizing actual discoveries, which live on following the death of the discoverer. Many other awards are awarded posthumously and there's no good reason this one couldn't be either.