抖阴旅行射

Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR) hosted a special lecture on March 3 by Professor Eva Olsson of Chalmers University of Technology. She is a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics and a long-standing member of the Physics Section of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Having also served as Chair of the committee in 2023, Olsson offered rare firsthand insight into how the world's most prestigious scientific prize is awarded. The event drew about a hundred faculty members, researchers and students eager to hear about the philosophy and rigorous procedures behind the prizes established by Alfred Nobel.

Olsson began by outlining the origins of the awards. Through his 1895 will, Nobel - himself an inventor and entrepreneur who held numerous patents - created the Nobel Foundation to recognize achievements that benefit humanity.

"Alfred Nobel set aside parts of his wealth to his relatives, and the rest was set aside for work performed for the benefit of mankind," Olsson explained. "It was also his express wish that the prizes are awarded without consideration to the nationality of the candidates. At a time when many major awards were national, Alfred Nobel's vision was global."

Olsson then described the principles guiding the selection of laureates, particularly for the Nobel Prize in Physics. The committee's primary focus, she said, is the significance of the discovery itself rather than a researcher's overall career.

"The Physics Prize is for discovery or invention, and that is something that we keep in mind and take very seriously," said Olsson. "It is not a lifetime achievement of a very prominent person. It's not the second discoverer who did it much better, and it's not one who did the most beautiful experiment. It is the original experiment, even if it's not beautiful," said Olsson.

She emphasized that the work must also be experimentally verified and must demonstrate clear benefit to humanity or our understanding of the universe. By contrast, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry places slightly greater emphasis on "discovery and improvement," reflecting differences in how breakthroughs emerge across disciplines.

Olsson also guided the audience through the year-long nomination and evaluation process.

Each September, invitations to nominate candidates are sent to selected scientists and institutions around the world. The nomination deadline is January 31, after which months of careful analysis begin.

From February to May, the committee conducts intensive discussions and consults external experts. Detailed reports are prepared and reviewed before further deliberations in September. The goal, Olsson explained, is to be "absolutely sure that we have identified the topic and that we have actually found the people doing the original work."

She also highlighted several strict rules: nominations must come through official invitations, lobbying the committee has no effect, and self-nominations are automatically dismissed.

The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, with topics as diverse as the growing impact of AI and the workload intensity of being a committee member.

When asked what advice she would give to young researchers aspiring to great discoveries, Olsson offered a reminder that research should always be driven by scientific curiosity, not honours or prizes.

"Be curious, ask questions and follow your interests," she said. "There is no manual that will guarantee you the Nobel Prize. We all work in science to benefit mankind. That is the main goal. And if we are lucky, we might also be chosen for the Nobel Prize."

Aside from the lecture, Olsson also met with Tohoku University Executive Vice President for Research Asako Sugimoto and several institute directors for talks whilst on campus.