6 ms·

is the nobel prize still the cornerstone of rewarding achievement in the sciences? sorry to be so snarky, but i am genuinely interested, having long lost any t

is the nobel prize still the cornerstone of rewarding achievement in the sciences? sorry to be so snarky, but i am genuinely interested, having long lost any trust in the peace prize comittee[0]. not to speak of the economics prize (which is not really a nobel prize [1]) [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_Peace_Prize_laureates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_Peace_Prize_laure... [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Memorial_Prize_in_Economic_Sciences http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Memorial_Prize_in_Economi... edit: formatting

notjustanymike 13y ago
I certainly lost a lot of faith in the Nobel peace prize when they gave it to Obama. It seemed like a political gesture more than a true recognition of significant accomplishments.
- aestra 13y ago
  The Nobel Peace Prize was a joke before Obama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Peace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Peace
- phaus 13y ago
  it took you this long? They awarded it to Al Gore for climate change awareness (has alot to do with peace i guess?) Even worse, they have awarded it to supporters of terrorism(Arafat), and other violent types of people(Mandela).
  - dman 13y ago
    Gandhi never won the prize.
    - phaus 13y ago
      Ahh, you are correct, apparently he has his own peace prize.
    - cynest 13y ago
      One reason being he died unexpectedly (assassination). The Nobel Peace Prize also wasn't awarded that year due to no suitable living candidates, which can be considered an acknowledgement of him.
    - naughtysriram 13y ago
      Apparently the whole nation won the independence. 'Mahatma' Gandhi would cherish it more than a prize.
Ma8ee 13y ago
The Peace Prize and the science prizes have very little to do with each other except that all the prizes (except the economy prize, as you pointed out) was created by Alfred Nobel. The science prizes are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, while the Peace Prize is awarded by a 5 member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament. So in some sense the Peace Prize is a political prize from the start, even if I don't think it was Nobel's intention.
theorique 13y ago
It's still considered the peak in the sciences. The economics price is much newer ("Memorial", as you cite), although also very prestigious in its own field, and Peace is not really a science.
tedsanders 13y ago
Yes, the Nobel prize is still the creme de la creme of prizes (in physics). Source: Me, a physics PhD student who has met a few Nobel laureates P.S. It's amazing how much universities and people like to affiliate with Nobel laureates just because of their award, and not their science. When I was at a university where a professor won the Nobel prize, he gave a talk identical to one held the previous year. Before the prize, about 10 people showed up. After the prize, hundreds showed up and couldn't fit in the room.
- auctiontheory 13y ago
  At Berkeley, Nobel laureates get a parking spot on campus.
  - tedsanders 13y ago
    And they also often get streets named after them, at least on the hill.
    - auctiontheory 13y ago
      And elements, but I digress.

notjustanymike 13y ago

I certainly lost a lot of faith in the Nobel peace prize when they gave it to Obama. It seemed like a political gesture more than a true recognition of significant accomplishments.

aestra 13y ago
The Nobel Peace Prize was a joke before Obama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Peace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Peace
phaus 13y ago
it took you this long? They awarded it to Al Gore for climate change awareness (has alot to do with peace i guess?) Even worse, they have awarded it to supporters of terrorism(Arafat), and other violent types of people(Mandela).
- dman 13y ago
  Gandhi never won the prize.
  - phaus 13y ago
    Ahh, you are correct, apparently he has his own peace prize.
  - cynest 13y ago
    One reason being he died unexpectedly (assassination). The Nobel Peace Prize also wasn't awarded that year due to no suitable living candidates, which can be considered an acknowledgement of him.
  - naughtysriram 13y ago
    Apparently the whole nation won the independence. 'Mahatma' Gandhi would cherish it more than a prize.

Ma8ee 13y ago

The Peace Prize and the science prizes have very little to do with each other except that all the prizes (except the economy prize, as you pointed out) was created by Alfred Nobel. The science prizes are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, while the Peace Prize is awarded by a 5 member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament. So in some sense the Peace Prize is a political prize from the start, even if I don't think it was Nobel's intention.

theorique 13y ago

It's still considered the peak in the sciences. The economics price is much newer ("Memorial", as you cite), although also very prestigious in its own field, and Peace is not really a science.

tedsanders 13y ago

Yes, the Nobel prize is still the creme de la creme of prizes (in physics). Source: Me, a physics PhD student who has met a few Nobel laureates P.S. It's amazing how much universities and people like to affiliate with Nobel laureates just because of their award, and not their science. When I was at a university where a professor won the Nobel prize, he gave a talk identical to one held the previous year. Before the prize, about 10 people showed up. After the prize, hundreds showed up and couldn't fit in the room.

auctiontheory 13y ago
At Berkeley, Nobel laureates get a parking spot on campus.
- tedsanders 13y ago
  And they also often get streets named after them, at least on the hill.
  - auctiontheory 13y ago
    And elements, but I digress.