Nobel Prize: who won the prize in 2026

Medicine: Control nerve cells with light

American neuroscientist Carl Deisserot and German biophysicists Peter Hegemann and Georeg Nagel received the prize in physiology or medicine for their discoveries in light-controlled ion channels and optogenetics. Hegeman and Nagel studied light-sensitive proteins, and Deisseroth helped turn them into a tool with which to turn certain neurons on and off with light.

Optogenetics allowed scientists to directly test the work of individual neural circuits and observe how exposure to them changes the behavior and state of the body. With the help of this method, the mechanisms of memory, dependence and depression are investigated, as well as the chains associated with sleep and wakefulness, hunger and thirst, aggression, motivation and reward system. In the future, the technology can help in the restoration of vision, studying the mechanisms of addiction, depression, memory and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Physics: See what comes to us from the depths of space

Belgian scientist Francis Halsen received the Physics Prize for his contribution to the creation of the IceCube neutrino observatory (literally, the “Cube of Ice”) and the discovery of neutrinos of ultrahigh energies of astrophysical origin.

Neutrinos are elementary particles (100 thousand times less than electrons) that arise as a result of nuclear reactions in the universe, for example, in the formation of supernovae. They're almost invisible -- 100 trillion of them pass through us every second. To detect them, Helsen proposed building a giant detector in an array of Antarctic ice. Photosensors through hundreds of wells register neutrinos passing through this ice cube. IceCube was able to detect 28 high-energy neutrinos that could only have been produced in deep space.

Chemistry: Learning to choose the right hand of a molecule

Scientists from France and Japan Henri Kaganu and Kenso Soai received the Chemistry Prize for their discoveries that allowed to control the chemical reactions that lead to homochirality. They were able to understand one of the most important questions of natural science - the asymmetry of living matter.

Many molecules exist in two mirror shapes, much like the left and right hands. They are made of the same atoms, but it is impossible to combine them in space. Homochirality is the property of a system to use only one of these forms.

Kagan and Soai were looking for a way to produce only one of the two mirror variants of the molecule in a chemical reaction. The discovery is important primarily for pharmaceuticals, it is important from the point of view of the development of the production of safe drugs for humans. Different forms can affect the body in different ways: one will give the desired effect, the other - side effect.

Literature: to combine antiquity and modernity

Canadian writer and poet Anne Carson has won the Literature Award for her "bold and innovative" style. It combines images and motifs of mythology, as well as ancient and modern literature, which destroys temporal boundaries.

Peace Prize: Making Right an Instrument Against Violence

South African lawyer and judge Navi Pillay received the Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. She has participated in the development of international jurisprudence, including that which has made it possible to treat sexualized violence as crimes against humanity and genocide.

Pillay expanded the scope and influence of international law and showed that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence. International law allows conflict to be resolved without the use of force, war criminals to be held accountable, and victims to be brought to justice.

The last Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on October 12 at 12:45 GMT.