Current Affairs
Nobel Prize 2014
(01) Introduction
(02) Nobel Medicine 2014
(03) Nobel Physics 2014
(04) Noble Chemistry 2014
(05) Noble Literature 2014
(06) Nobel Peace Prize 2014
(07) Nobel Economics 2014
(08) Nobel Prize 2014 winners
(09) Nobel winners with Indian Connection
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(01) Introduction:
·
1896: Dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel (Sweden) died. He left a fund to
give awards in 5 categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and
Peace. Later 6th Category added: Economics.
·
1901: started. Maximum 3 persons can be awarded in each category.
·
A person must be alive to be nominated.
·
Nobel Prize recipients are called laureates.
·
Nobel prizes are announced in advance but actual medals given on
December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
·
They get medal, diploma, and 8-million Swedish kroner (SEK) = ~
$1.1 million
Money for Nobel Prize
·
For all prize (except Economics medal) - fund created by Dynamite
inventor Alfred Nobel, Sweden.
·
For Economics - From Bank of Sweden (Riksbank)
Venue of Nobel Prize
·
Stockholm (Sweden) – Nobel Prize for Physics,
Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Economics will be given here
·
Oslo (Norway) - Nobel Peace Prize given
here
Inscriptions on Nobel medal
·
Economics - No inscription
·
Peace – “For the peace and brotherhood of men”
·
Physics, Chemistry, Medicine – “And they who bettered life on
earth by new found mastery”
(02) Nobel Medicine 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
John
O’Keefe
|
U.S.-British
|
May—Britt
Moser
|
Norway
|
Edward
Moser
|
Norway
|
·
Discovering the brain’s positioning system.
·
Certain Nerve cells become active to enhance our spatial memory
·
Only then, we can remember things and their exact place around
us.
·
In Alzheimer’s disease patient loses his spatial memory as well.
·
These 3 scientists’ research will help fixing that. Hence Nobel.
Little Flashback:
ü
2013 Nobel Medicine: how substances move within a cell.
ü
2012 Nobel Medicine: to Gurdon and Yamanaka for iPS stem cells. [Important
for Indian government exams: because Modi during his Japan visit, asked Yamanaka to cure
sickle cell anaemia. For more ---> CLICK HERE ]
(03) Nobel Physics 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
Isamu
Akasaki
|
Japan
|
Hiroshi
Amano
|
Japan
|
Shuji
Nakamura
|
Japan – USA
|
·
First, Red and Green LEDs were invented. But still white light
could not be produced.
·
20 years ago, these three invented Blue LED (light emitting
diode) using Indiaum Gallium Nitride semiconductor (InGaN)
·
Blue + Red + Green = White LED light produced, hence LED became
popular.
·
Today LEDs are the most efficient source of light.
·
Remember the new Philips LED advertisement (Ranbir Kapoor and
Shruti Hasan)
·
We should use LED because they’re
Ø
50% more energy efficient than CFL
Ø
Does not use mercury, unlike CFL.
Ø
Lifespan 4-5 times more than CFLs
Ø
Uses 1/10 energy of an incandescent bulb.
Ø
Yet produces same amount of light.
Ø
Challenge: high cost than CFL and bulbs.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry
of Power came up with following ideas:
·
Give financial support to all states- to promote LED use.
·
Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyuthikaran Yojana (RGGVY): Give LED
bulbs to BPL families.
·
Electricity distribution firms should sign pacts with LED
companies. To supply LED bulbs at discounted rates to their consumers.
·
For example BEE + EESL (a JV of PSUs) began selling LED bulbs to
households at Rs.10 instead of MRP of Rs.400.
·
The electricity distribution companies then repays EESL, over a
period of 5 to 8.
·
BEE will launch a labelling programme and awareness campaign for
LED.
(04) Nobel Chemistry 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
Eric
Betzig
|
USA
|
William
Moerner
|
USA
|
Stefan
Hell
|
Germany
|
·
Earlier optical micrometers could show resolution upto 0.2 micrometres only (=half the wavelength of
light)..
·
But these 3 gentlemen developed super-resolved fluorescence microscope,
which can show details in nanometers.
·
Hence the Nobel.
Confocal microscope
·
Indian scientists designed this microscope
·
Using funding from CSIR – Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research.
·
Broad Spectrum Confocal Microscope can generate 3D images of
objects.
·
Uses Infra-red beams and patented crystal fibres.
·
Imported microscope of this quality =4 cr.
·
Indian microscope: ~1.5 cr.
(05) Nobel Literature 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
Patrick
Modiano
|
France
|
·
Novelist who write on themes of World War II, Nazi occupation.
·
Famous book: “Missing person”
·
Nobel Prize in Literature is not awarded for any specific book
·
2013 winner: Canada’s
Alice Munro
(06) Noble Peace 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
Kailash
Satyarthi
|
India
|
Malala
Yousfazi
|
Pakistan
|
About Kailash Satyarthi
·
Electrical Engineer from Madhya Pradesh.
·
Head of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) — the Save Childhood
Movement
·
Freed 80,000 children from factories, brick-kilns, carpet making
and other bonded labour jobs. Even sustained attacks from local mafia while
doing that.
·
Helped in their education and rehabilitation.
·
Member of UNESCO group on “Education for all”.
·
Wants the world leaders to include child-slavery abolition in
Post-
·
Has won Robert F. Kennedy International Human Rights Award (US)
and several such civilian award in Spain,
Italy and Europe.
·
Government of India
never gave him any Padma award.
·
European Government nominated him for this Nobel Prize.
·
Only three people from India got Peace Nobel
Ø
1979: Mother Teresa
Ø
2007: RK Pachauri with Al Gore (climate change)
Ø
2014: Satyarthi.
About Malala Yousafzai
·
Only two Pakistanis won Nobel so far.
Ø
1979: Physics- Abdus Salam for subatomic particles
Ø
2014: Peace- Malala for advocating girl education.
·
Malala is youngest person to win Nobel (age 17). Broke record of Lawrence Braggs (25 years
old, Physics noble-1915).
·
She hails from Village Mingora, Swat Valley, Pakistan.
·
Wrote a BBC-blog pseudonym ‘Gul Makai’ (2009).
·
Advocated girl child education in Pakistan. Hence Talibans did not
like it. So, they shot her in the head.
·
Government sent her to UK for treatment. Currently living
in Birmingham,
crusading for education via speeches, books, and social media.
·
Malala has written following Books:
v
I’m Malala (co-author Christina Lamb)
v
Malala: the girl who stood up for education and changed the world (co-author Patricia
McCormick).
(07) Nobel Economics 2014:
Winners
|
Countries
|
Jean
Triole
|
France
|
·
If Government doesn’t regulate private firms => Private
monopoly=> new players can’t enter => lack of competition => high
prices => market failure.
·
Jean designed frameworks on how should Government regulate
private telecom, banking, mfg. industry etc. without nationalizing them. How to
prevent cartels and monopolies.
·
Following his model, many developing countries began
disinvestment and privatization of Public sector units in the 80s and 80s.
·
Economics Nobel is given by Sweden’s Central bank.
(08) Nobel Prize 2014 winners – complete list:
Nobel Prize 2014
|
Field
|
Winners
|
Countries
|
For
|
Physiology
/ Medicine
|
John
O’Keefe
|
U.S.-British
|
For discovering the brain’s positioning system.
|
May—Britt
Moser
|
Norway
|
Edward
Moser
|
Norway
|
Physics
|
Isamu
Akasaki
|
Japan
|
For the invention of blue light-emitting diodes a
new energy efficient and environment-friendly light source.
|
Hiroshi
Amano
|
Japan
|
Shuji
Nakamura
|
Japan - USA
|
Chemistry
|
Eric
Betzig
|
USA
|
For super-resolved fluorescence
|
William
Moerner
|
USA
|
Stefan
Hell
|
Germany
|
Literature
|
Patrick
Modiano
|
France
|
Famous book: “Missing person”
|
Peace
|
Kailash
Satyarthi
|
India
|
Children’s rights activists
|
Malala
Yousfazi
|
Pakistan
|
Economics
|
Jean
Triole
|
France
|
for his work on market power and regulation.
|
(09) India
and Nobel Prize:
#
|
Year
|
Laureates
|
Subject
|
Origin
|
|
1902
|
Ronal Ross
|
Medicine
|
Foreign citizens born in India
|
1907
|
Rudyard Kipling
|
Literature
|
Foreign citizens born in India
|
1
|
1913
|
Rabindranath Tagore
|
Literature
|
Citizen of India
|
2
|
1930
|
C V Raman*
|
Physics
|
Citizen of India
|
3
|
1968
|
Hargobind Khorana
|
Medicine
|
Foreign citizens of Indian origin
|
4
|
1979
|
Mother Teresa*
|
Peace
|
Foreign born citizen of India
|
5
|
1983
|
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
|
Physics
|
Indian-born American citizen
|
6
|
1998
|
Amartya Sen*
|
Economics
|
Citizen of India
|
7
|
2001
|
V S Naipaul
|
Literature
|
Indian descendant of UK
|
8
|
2009
|
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
|
Chemistry
|
Indian born American Citizen
|
9
|
2014
|
Kailash Satyarti
|
Peace
|
Citizen of India
|
* à Winners of Bharat Ratna
Award
|
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