The 1997 Nobel Prizes were awarded by the Nobel Foundation, based in Sweden. Six categories were awarded: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.
Nobel Week took place from December 6 to 12, including programming such as lectures, dialogues, and discussions. The award ceremony and banquet for the Peace Prize were scheduled in Oslo on December 10, while the award ceremony and banquet for all other categories were scheduled for the same day in Stockholm.
Prizes
Physics +Awardee(s)Steven Chu (b. 1948) American"for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light."Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (b. 1933) FrenchWilliam Daniel Phillips (b. 1948) American
Chemistry Awardee(s)Paul D. Boyer (1918–2018) American"for their elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)"John E. Walker (b. 1941) BritishJens C. Skou (1918–2018) Danish"for the first discovery of an ion-transporting enzyme, Na+, K+ -ATPase"
Physiology or Medicine Awardee(s)Stanley B. Prusiner (b. 1942)"for his discovery of Prions - a new biological principle of infection"
Literature
Awardee(s)Dario Fo (1926–2016)"who emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden"
Peace Awardee(s)International Campaign to Ban Landmines (founded 1992)"for their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines."Jody Williams (born 1950)
Economic Sciences Awardee(s)Robert C. Merton (b. 1944)"for a new method to determine the value of derivatives"Myron Scholes (b. 1941)
Controversies
Physics Some in the Russian scientific community disputed Chu, Cohen-Tannoudji, and Phillips' methodologies and claimed that some scientists in Russia had executed their experiments first.
Physiology or Medicine Prusiner's discovery of prions initially faced criticisms and denials, provoking a longstanding debate in the scientific community regarding the existence of prions that wouldn't be resolved, with their full acknowledgement, until years later."U.S. Scientist Wins Nobel Prize for Controversial Work". . University of Oklahoma (7 October 1997). Retrieved 21 March 2011.
Literature Fo's awarding was considered "rather lightweight" by some critics, as he was seen primarily as a performer; he had also been censured by the Roman Catholic Church.Julie Carroll, Pope and Witch' Draws Catholic Protests". . The Catholic Spirit, 27 February 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
References