Nobel Prizes, Obama?
- 11
- Dec
The Nobel Prizes was an award established by Alfred Novel, a notable Swedish chemist, on 1895. It is an international monetary prize. There are Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and the Prize in Economics. They are widely regarded as the most prestigious award one can receive in those fields.
Have you asked why is there no Nobel Prize in Mathematics?
There is no historical evidence to support the story (even Wikipedia mentioned it) however one of the most common reasons as to why Alfred Nobel decided against a Nobel prize in math is that a woman he proposed to be his wife rejected him because she was in love with a famous mathematician and he didn’t him to receive his award.
Around 10 years ago I had a coffee in Buenos Aires with an uncle from Spain, who was at that moment Cathedratic of Economics at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (one of the most important from Spain). I remember he had his office with Mochon and Becker, the writers of the first economic book that I have read; we talked about the Novel Prizes, I remember he said it was a prize that you ¨buy¨ and there are political reasons behind it…
Last October Barack Obama was selected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and yesterday the U.S. President has accepted the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize with the acknowledgment that he is only at the beginning of his “labors on the world stage.” I personal like Obama but I believe what happened yesterday discredit both, the Nobel Peace Prize and Barack Obama. Think if he would say no to the Prize, this is not my time to receive it, I have a lot labor on the world stage to do and I don’t feel I didn´t demonstrate it yet…. For sure he´ll deserve it in couple decades.
What he said about he is only at the beginning of his labors, it is clearly that he is only at the beginning of his labors on the world stage, he being president of US for one year and I´m not going to talk about the Irak and Afghanistan war but have the possibility to receive the novel prize in the future could make him to take right decisions, Obama doesn´t have this ¨presion¨ now.
I hope he´ll be the first person who win two Nobel Peace Prizes, but I see it difficult. At very least Obama plans to donate the $1.4 million cash prize.
I definitely agree that the prize came to soon– but how do you reject a Nobel Peace Prize? I think his reaction to being nominated and to winning were both pretty humble and appropriate, given the circumstances.
I just hope he earns it… soon.
Marisa, thanks for your comment. I saw in your blog that for you was too much Obama´s prize. If he does things well, he´ll receive it later. I didn´t want to say that he had to rejected, just postponing it. I hope he makes things to deserve it but a prize is not only because someone deserved it, its about what a person has achieved or done.
Yes, I hope so too. Thanks for the post!