Nobels to appreciate

Nobel prizes in the pure sciences like physics and chemistry can often seem esoteric for the layman to truly appreciate the discovery or invention. This year’s prize for physics is quite different in that everyone can understand the nature of the invention as its application has brought a noticeable improvement to everyone’s lives. Blue-light LEDs transformed lighting to such an extent that the white-light LEDs they made possible are not only easy on the eye but are also energy efficient enough to fulfil the promise of saving the world a good deal in terms of carbon footprint.

There is also a bit of folk-tale heroism. One of the recipients, Dr Shuji Nakamura, battled on individually and in collaboration with his colleagues Isamu Asaki and Hiroshi Amano to make the breakthrough on which the Blu-Ray laser DVD players also work. However, his blue LED project was first considered so uninspiring that his company told him he could pursue it only in his leisure time. Breaking a Japanese taboo, Nakamura was later to sue his company since his invention is thought to have been commercially worth at least $500 million, but he settled for $8.1 million.

That the doctors who mapped the brain’s GPS were awarded the medicine Nobel and the scientists who fine-tuned optical microscopy won the chemistry Nobel will also be appreciated. The bonus of the story of a saint not being honoured in his own land — he was offered a paltry $200 for his invention — but going to on to conquer the world lends a nice touch to this Nobel season.