Ashutosh Sahoo
The merchant of death's legacy
Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, was haunted by his public image. His will would reshape his name from an arms dealer to a benefactor of humanity.
A will born from an error?
Legend says a mistaken obituary calling him a warmonger inspired Nobel to create the prizes. He dedicated his vast fortune to honouring those who truly benefit humankind.
The forgotten women of science
The prize has a controversial history of overlooking women. Rosalind Franklin’s critical DNA research was ignored, while the prize for her work went to her male colleagues.
The prize that never was
Despite five nominations, peace icon Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded the Nobel. The committee later called this "the greatest omission" in their history.
A prize for a brain scramble?
In 1949, Egas Moniz won for inventing the lobotomy. The award for a brutal brain surgery now universally condemned remains one of the Nobel’s darkest moments.
Controversy in the name of peace
The Peace Prize has often sparked debate. From Henry Kissinger to Yasser Arafat, the award has been given to figures with highly contentious and violent pasts.
Thanks, but no thanks
Not everyone accepts the honour. Jean-Paul Sartre voluntarily declined his prize for literature, while others were forced to refuse by their governments, like Germans under Hitler's rule.
The Einstein paradox
Albert Einstein, the 20th century's greatest mind, didn't win for his famous theory of relativity. The committee deemed it too speculative, instead honouring him for the photoelectric effect.
Why is there no Nobel for math?
It’s not because of a mythical love affair! Nobel likely saw mathematics as a purely theoretical tool, not a field that directly conferred "the greatest benefit on mankind."
From Nobel to Ig Nobel
Physicist Andre Geim is the only person to win both a Nobel Prize and a parody Ig Nobel Prize. He was awarded the former for graphene, and the latter for magnetically levitating a frog.