Nobel Prize Conversations
Nobel Prize Outreach
Through their lives and work, failures and successes – get to know the individuals who have been awarded the Nobel Prize. The host for this podcast is Adam Smith, who has the happy task of interviewing our Nobel Prize laureates.Sit in on our conversations as we delve into how these personalities found their fields of interest — often by coincidence — how they view collaboration, curiosity and failure, and what keeps them going. The laureates share what they have learned from their career and what they like to do outside of their work – from music to fly-fishing. We let the discussions flow freely, resulting in richly varied stories on topics ranging from poverty prevention to the science of black holes and the importance of being a role model.Our latest season is coming in Spring/Summer 2025 and features the new crop of 2024 laureates, and is produced in cooperation with Fundación Ramón Areces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 14, 2024 • 10min
First Reactions | Daron Acemoglu, prize in economic sciences 2024 | Telephone interview
“There’s nothing natural about 30-, 40-, 50- fold differences in income per capita in a globalised, connected world.” Daron Acemoglu, economic sciences laureate 2024, speaks about the root causes of persistent poverty among the poorest nations and how to build the types of inclusive institution that can support prosperity. In this conversation with the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, recorded shortly after the prize announcement, Acemoglu also highlights the importance of democracy and his fears regarding AI, and how its misuse could result in a two-tier society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2024 • 3min
First Reactions | Simon Johnson, prize in economic sciences 2024 | Telephone interview
“True, genuine, inclusive democracy matters, very clearly.” Simon Johnson, economic sciences laureate 2024, learnt of the award from the congratulatory text messages piling-up on his phone. In this short conversation with the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, recorded just moments after he had heard the news, he highlights the importance of participatory decision-making in making the most of human potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 11, 2024 • 3min
First Reactions | Nihon Hidankyo, Nobel Peace Prize 2024 | Telephone interview
“The dream came true!” The prize came as a big surprise, says Masako Wada, a representative from the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, which works to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. In this interview shortly after learning about the Nobel Peace Prize 2024, she shares her deep concerns on the world’s backlash on nuclear disarmament, not least after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “Rather than anger, I feel sorrow and fear how deep humans will fall into darkness.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 10, 2024 • 8min
First Reactions | Han Kang, Nobel Prize in Literature 2024 | Telephone interview
In a delightful chat, Han Kang, the groundbreaking 2024 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature and author of the acclaimed "The Vegetarian," shares her surprise and joy at this momentous recognition. As the first South Korean to win, she reflects on the literary community's influence on her work. Kang discusses her profound inspirations, including childhood favorites like Astrid Lindgren's 'Lionheart Brothers.' She invites new readers to explore her latest book, 'We Do Not Part,' and hints at a family-centered Nobel celebration.
Oct 9, 2024 • 6min
First Reactions | David Baker, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 | Telephone interview
“I got the phone call and my wife promptly started screaming.” News of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry gave David Baker’s household a very early wake up call. Here, just after the prize announcement, Baker speaks to the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith about the exciting potential of building brand new proteins, the inspirational effect his fellow laureates have had on his field and whether it is necessary to understand how predictive algorithms work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 9, 2024 • 4min
First Reactions | John Jumper, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 | Telephone interview
“It’s absolutely extraordinary.” John Jumper had just heard the news of his 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry when he spoke to the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith. “I thought I had a 10 % chance,” he reveals. To save his nerves, his plan had been to sleep in until after the announcement, which didn’t quite work out. In the interview, he talks about being the youngest chemistry laureate in over 70 years, and about AI’s role in science. “What I love about all this is that we can draw a straight line from what we do to people being healthy.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 9, 2024 • 5min
First Reactions | Demis Hassabis, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 | Telephone interview
“The best scientists paired with these kinds of tools will be able to do incredible things.” Demis Hassabis, 2024 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry, reflects on building the right research environment and the interplay between AI and individual scientists. This short conversation with Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith was recorded just after he had received the call from Stockholm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 8, 2024 • 10min
First Reactions | John Hopfield, Nobel Prize in Physics 2024 | Telephone interview
“You have to build up from the bottom.” In this interview shortly after the announcement, 2024 physics laureate John Hopfield talks about how he found out about the prize when he was going through his e-mails. ”It didn't sink it until I got to the fourth e-mail!” Hopfield reflects on how to tackle big questions, such as how the mind works, in this conversation. He and his wife Mary Waltham spoke to the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith from his cottage in the village of Selborne in England, which was home to the 18th century naturalist Gilbert White. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 8, 2024 • 7min
First Reactions | Geoffrey Hinton, Nobel Prize in Physics 2024 | Telephone interview
“How could I be sure it wasn’t a spoof call?” 2024 physics laureate Geoffrey Hinton received the phone call from Stockholm at around 2am in a hotel room in California, and multiple Swedish accents helped reassure him that his Nobel Prize in Physics was real. Greatly surprised, he talks to the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith about the state of machine learning, the pressing need for safety research, and his hopes that the award might make people take the fears he voices more seriously. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 7, 2024 • 6min
First Reactions | Victor Ambros, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 | Telephone interview
“We see it as a celebration of the way of doing science,” says Victor Ambros of his Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In this call with the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, Ambros speaks about the joy of basic research and the ever-expanding fascination of RNA. Recorded just after Ambros found out about the prize, we also discover how the news was broken to the new laureate by his son, who began with the leading question, “Have you been getting calls from Sweden?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
