Ask questions via twitter! Message any question to @answers on twitter. We'll publish the question and send you a reply each time there's a new answer.
Next Question

Answered Question

buddawigg... buddawigg...
 
M$2.25 October 22, 2009 12:39 AM

To whom and in what area has been the most important or interesting Nobel Prize been awarded?

Today October 21st is the birthday of Alfred Nobel and to celebrate this what has been the most important or interesting Nobel Prize awarded and to whom was this prize awarded?
http://nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/
Interesting Question?  Yes (3)   No (0)   

Interesting: jeffhoard M$0.50, brian san M$0.50, opher M$0.25

RSS
 
 

Best Answer  Decided by Votes

opher opher
 
 October 22, 2009 01:51 AM
My vote goes to the 1956 Nobel prize in Physics, awarded jointly to William B. Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter H. Brattain "for their researches on semiconductors and their discovery of the transistor effect" - http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1956/.

The transistor is the basis for all the micro-miniaturized electronics we take for granted today. Without the transistor we would not have any of the following.

- Personal computers (or any other modern computer)
- Radios (at least ones smaller than a cabinet)
- Televisions that turn on right away, and especially plasma TVs and LCD TVs
- Cell phones
- The Internet
- Microwave ovens
- Gamma cameras
- CT scanners
- MRI scanners
- PET scanners
- Digital cameras
- Digital camcorders
- Modern cars with computers running things like engine tuning in real time
- Satellite communications
- DVD players
- CD players
- MP3 players
- Electronic cash registers
- Reliable auto-pilots
- etc. etc. etc.

You get the idea. Modern life as we know it, be it in the realm of consumer electronics, modern medical devices, semi-automated power plants, modern aviation and space technology, etc. would not be practical without the transistor.
Source(s):
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1956/



Helpful Answer?  (3)   (0)   

Helpful: buddawiggi, brian san, albanian

Tip opher for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
buddawiggi buddawiggi
 
October 22, 2009 02:22 AM
That is a pretty powerful position for both the most interesting and the most important Nobel Prize given. Where would we be without these inventions made possible by the transistor. A very tough selection to top!

Report
 
 

Other Answers (4)

Sort By
rudyj2112 rudyj2112
 
October 22, 2009 02:00 AM
I think the most interesting and confusing Nobel peace prize was the most recent one where Obama won it. I just don;t think he did enough(or anything at all) to win it.

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip rudyj2112 for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
albanian albanian
 
October 22, 2009 11:30 AM
Who would you have picked this year?

Report
 
 
opher opher
 
October 22, 2009 01:16 PM
IMHO the Nobel Peace Prize is the least likely to be a response to a truly world-changing contribution. Call me cynical, but while world peace is a worthy and noble cause, human nature being what it is, I don't see world peace coming about anytime soon (even in terms of historical era time-scales).

Note that I don't mean by this that the Nobel Peace Prize should be abolished (though some recipient choices have IMO been very iffy, and I'm not talking about 2009's here). There have been some extremely worthy recipients. It's just that their impact has not been as significant as those of some of the contributions in the fields of medicine, physics, and chemistry.

Report
 
 
albanian albanian
 
October 22, 2009 03:00 PM
Inventing dynamite certainly was a big world changer. That's more or less why he decided to set up a Peace Prize.

Report
 
 
kty2777 kty2777
 
October 22, 2009 02:23 AM
Barry James Marshall and Dr Warren - 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease"

Everyone had though the ulcers were caused by stress, eating spicy food and other vague undefined causes. But Marshall and Warren who studied gastric diseases continually found a certain type of bacteria when they studied gastritis - they postulated this bacteria caused the ulcers but they didn't have proof.

So, Marshall, in true mad scientist style, drank a dish full of the bacteria to TEST his theory about the formation of stomach ulcers He soon developed gastritis with achlorhydria and thus proved his theory :)

What a dedicated man and what a weird way to test your theory ..... I did read his wife was horrified about what he'd done.....I can imagine!

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/pluym_evan/pictures/h_pylori%20scott%20smith.gif
Source(s):
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/marshall-telepho...
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/pluym_evan/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall


Tags: mahalo, warren, marshall, prize, nobel

Helpful Answer?  (2)   (0)   

Helpful: buddawiggi, brian san

Tip kty2777 for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
buddawiggi buddawiggi
 
October 22, 2009 02:31 AM
I love it! When I think "mad scientist" I never think of modern science. It is nice to know that things are not always as they seem as Mr. Marshall so bravely has proven. His bravery now helps me question everything we think of as fact.. would I drink the potion? Eat the red pill?

Report
 
 
colonial b... colonial b...
 
October 22, 2009 02:35 AM
Norman Borlaug. He won the peace prize in 1970 for his work as an agricultural engineer. He developed short plants that were very heat and pest resistant. He took them to Mexico, India, Africa. Its estimated he has saved one billion lives. When people aren't starving, they don't kill each other.


Helpful Answer?  (4)   (0)   

Helpful: buddawiggi, brian san, philipy, xds

Tip colonial butros for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
buddawiggi buddawiggi
 
October 22, 2009 02:42 AM
Great call with Norman Borlaug he is truly a savior to so many. There are few jobs more important than saving the world from starvation. Who else would have come up with dwarf wheat? Having just passed away this year was a tremendous loss the entire planet owes this man a debt of gratitude.

Report
 
 
philipy philipy
 
October 22, 2009 05:14 PM
Yes, arguably one the biggest contributors to the good of the world ever, and yet hardly anyone has heard of him.

Report
 
 
macksmid macksmid
 
October 22, 2009 01:32 PM
Obama won it for doing nothing at all,so realy the whole idea of the peace prize has been made a mockery of, shame realy as there have been many worthy winners over the years

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip macksmid for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
buddawiggi buddawiggi
 
October 22, 2009 01:55 PM
I can appreciate that you have an opinion on the current winner of the Nobel Peace Prize but this is a comment and in no way answers the question.

Report
 
 

Answer this Question

How tips and payments work

This question has already been resolved. You may add an answer to it but you will not be eligible to win best answer or any associated tips.

Related Questions

View All Today In History Questions

Ask a Question


140 characters left
Top of Page
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal

Top Members

This Week All Time
  • buddawiggi
    buddawiggi
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    27543 Points
    M$789.91 Earned
  • opher
    opher
    Purple Belt
    4443 Points
    M$196.22 Earned
  • annelisle
    annelisle
    Purple Belt
    2997 Points
    M$91.22 Earned
   See All
 

Most Popular Tags

mahalo(1615)
twitter(951)
iphone(465)
music(459)
google(357)
food(321)
internet(305)
online(295)
beer(279)
money(262)
facebook(255)
movies(255)
apple(251)
aotd(235)
answers(225)
health(219)
video(207)
free(205)
dog(205)
windows(197)
   See All
 

Categories

Welcome New Members


 
 
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.

Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.

Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More

 
 

Please log in to use this function.

Answers Home | Ask a Question | Earn Points | How Tips Work | Widget