What do a pretzel, a lock of hair and a scream have in common? They have all been used to explain the highly complex scientific research honoured with a Nobel Prize to the general public.
In recent years, the various Nobel science prize committees have gone to great lengths to make the pioneering discoveries understandable to a broad audience, occasionally finding creative and amusing ways of getting their message across.
“I think we’re sometimes a little scared of being too adventurous when presenting the Nobel Prize because it’s serious and important,” said Sven Lidin, who served for 12 years as a member of the Nobel chemistry committee.
This year’s Nobel Prize season kicks off on October 2 with the medicine prize, followed by the physics prize on October 3 and the chemistry prize on October 4.
The tough task of conveying the prizes’ significance beyond academic and scientific circles is one the various committees take seriously.