In an unusual development, Nobel Prize winners for the year 2020 will receive their prizes at home due to the travel obstructions throughout the world. The main ceremonies at Stockholm and Oslo stand cancelled. The ceremonies are usually held on December 10, the death anniversary of the prize’s founder, Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel. He was also the inventor of dynamite.
This would be the first time in 64 years that the award ceremonies are not taking place. In 1956, it was cancelled in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of the east European state of Hungary.
According to the schedule, the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry France’s Emmanuelle Charpentier will receive the honour in the presence of the Swedish ambassador at a ceremony in Berlin. Her co-laureate Jennifer Doudna is slated to receive her honour at a ceremony to be held in Berkeley, California, on Tuesday (December 9).
Literature laureate Louise Gluck who hails form the United States has already received her prize at her home in Massachusetts.
Nobel laureates in Economics–Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson—and physics laureate Andrea Ghez will be conferred the prize in Palo Alto and Los Angeles respectively.
The Nobel Prize is awarded in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, economics, literature and peace and have been awarded since 1901.The prizes have been instituted in the name of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel who died in the year 1896. He was a successful businessman too and has numerous patents in his name, dynamite being the most famous. After being pointed out that the discovery of dynamite would only give boost to arms business, he decided to donate the money for constructive purposes.
The Nordic countries of Sweden and Norway are responsible for the maintenance and conferring of the award.
