2026 Nobel Prize laureates announced — Taipei Times
The 2026 Nobel Prize laureates were announced from October 5 to 12 in six categories: physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economic sciences. The awards went to scientists, a writer and a human rights advocate whose work concerns neuroscience, astrophysics, organic chemistry, literature, international justice and macroeconomics, Taipei Times reports.
Science and technology
The prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to American scientist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their contributions to the development of optogenetics. This technology combines genetic engineering and optical methods, making it possible to control the activity of specific nerve cells using light. It helps study the links between brain circuits, memory, emotions and behavior and has potential for research into depression, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen, who played a leading role in creating the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica. The facility uses deep Antarctic ice and thousands of optical sensors to detect high-energy neutrinos. This makes it possible to study black holes and other extreme cosmic phenomena beyond conventional optical observations.
The chemistry prize was jointly awarded to French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai for research into nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their work explains how small molecular asymmetries can be amplified during chemical reactions, which is important for drug synthesis, asymmetric catalysis and research into the origin of life.
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Literature, peace and economics
Canadian poet, writer and classical scholar Anne Carson became the literature laureate. In her works, she combines ancient Greek mythology, philosophy, poetry, prose and visual art. Her book Autobiography of Red reinterprets a classical myth as a contemporary novel in verse.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her many years of work in international human rights, justice and accountability for war crimes. She served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, and was also the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The prize in economic sciences was shared by American economists Michael Woodford and Robert E. Hall. They were recognized for contributions to research on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilization. Their work concerns the impact of decisions by individuals and companies on economic fluctuations, as well as how monetary and fiscal policy can help stabilize the economy.
