The New York Times:
Paine was an ecologist, so he had no shot at the prestige, power and wealth that the Nobels bestow. The same can be said for the world’s top geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, climatologists, crop scientists, botanists, entomologists and practitioners of many other fields.
Science’s reach has relentlessly expanded to include ever more facets of our world, and it has become increasingly important to our lives. But the world’s most important scientific honor society has largely ignored that evolution. As a result, the Nobel Prizes, which will be announced this week, are reserved for an ever-shrinking fraction of the scientific community and are receding from the interests of society at large. It’s high time for an update.
Like many things, the Nobel is a product of its time. Does it need to be updated to reflect the 21st century and not the 19th?
The price was always excluding disciplines, even when it was created. It also e.g. honors literature, but not e.g. theater or ballet. And, other than the newer scientific fields listed, those did exist during the lifetime of the guy the price is named after…
I do understand that people want that, I don’t think it is essential. What they should do (IMO) is honor people who stand up for science and defend it against the growing tide of religious dumb-asses, like Dawkins or Tyson. And maybe be a little more careful with this peace price thingy.
Most disciplines have their own equivalent to the Nobel Prize. They generally don’t have the public recognition of the Nobel Prize, but they are often just as respected among peers.
The Nobel, like the Peabody, is a specific thing with a specific focus. I can recognize both without having to want to change them. Sort of.
I would hope that a few Nobel winners might occasionally be disposed to publicly explain the influences from other disciplines that their work had benefited from. No branch of science operates in a vacuum, as much as some of its practitioners might want to believe that.
Physics, medicine, biology… the importance of these are not shrinking, unless you mistake science for politics. There’s always going to be a field not covered by Nobel, but so what? Nobel isn’t the only award worth having. The peace prize is usually too political, but that’s it’s nature, I guess.
“…and are receding from the interests of society at large.”
Well society at large seems to love the Kardashians. Does that mean the Nobels should have a Reality Series award? Silly argument. There will always be a field of science that’s not covered. How bout this – maybe the Times should give as much attention to the top prizes in other fields as it does to the Nobels.
And if your straw man had wheels, he’d be a wagon.
deGrasse Tyson is so full of himself he can’t even see straight.
Most awards like this are so ossified that they are no longer relevant, and the people in charge display no interest in actually modernizing them.
The Nobel commities have to follow the statutes given by Alfred Nobel’s will. They can’t deviate even if they wanted to.
The Peace prize winners are chosen by the Norweagen parlament – by politians!
The prize for economists is NOT a true part of the Nobel, but is given at the same time and gets to share the celebration.