Nobel Prizes 2024

The Nobel Prizes 2024, announced from October 7 to October 14 and awarded on December 10, recognized individuals and one organisation whose work has deeply impacted science, society, and global peace. Each laureate received a medal, diploma, and a shared or individual award of approximately 11 million Swedish kronor.

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🧬 Physiology or Medicine

Laureates: Victor Ambros (USA) & Gary Ruvkun (USA)
Achievement: Discovery of microRNA, a new class of small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. This discovery opened up new understandings of cell biology and disease mechanisms, with profound implications for areas like cancer research, development, and gene regulation.

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⚛️ Physics

Laureates: John J. Hopfield (USA) & Geoffrey E. Hinton (British–Canadian)
Achievement: Pioneering discoveries in machine learning using artificial neural networks, bridging physics and computational modeling to shape modern AI tools like facial recognition, language translation, and data analysis.

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🧪 Chemistry

Laureates: David Baker (USA), Demis Hassabis (UK), & John M. Jumper (USA)
Achievement:

• David Baker for advances in computational protein design.

• Demis Hassabis & John Jumper for protein structure prediction using artificial intelligence.
  Their work has vastly accelerated scientific research, enabling custom-designed proteins and enhancing drug and vaccine development.
  
  

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📖 Literature

Laureate: Han Kang (South Korea)
Achievement: Awarded for her intense, poetic prose confronting historical trauma and exploring the fragility of human life. Han Kang became the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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☮️ Peace

Laureate: Nihon Hidankyo (Japan)
Achievement: Honoured for their decades‑long work led by atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons, sharing witness testimony to strengthen global norms against nuclear warfare.

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💼 Economic Sciences

Laureates: Daron Acemoglu (Turkey/USA), Simon Johnson (UK/USA), & James A. Robinson (UK/USA)
Achievement: Groundbreaking studies on how institutions shape national prosperity. Their research shows that inclusive political and economic institutions foster innovation and long-term growth, while exploitative regimes hinder development.

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🔍 Key Themes & Trends

• Artificial Intelligence in Science: Awarded across multiple categories, AI research—especially neural networks and protein modeling—showed transformative power in both physics and chemistry.

• Genetic Regulation Breakthrough: Discovery of microRNA is reshaping biology and medical research.

• Witness-Based Activism: Nobel Peace Prize emphasised survivor testimony and grassroots movements against nuclear weapons.

• Institutional Economics: Research linking democracy, institutional structures, and prosperity reflects global relevance in socioeconomic policy.

• Literature Bridging Trauma & Healing: Han Kang's work brings empathetic insight into historical suffering and human resilience.

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📌 Why It Matters

The Nobel Prizes of 2024 underscore how fundamental scientific discoveries, powerful storytelling, and moral courage can shape societies. From tiny RNA molecules to global policy insights and literary depth, these laureates challenge us to reconsider how knowledge, memory, and structure inform our world.