The Saturday List #102 - People who should get the nobel prize

Bob Dylan has been awarded a Nobel Prize for literature for the amzing body of work he's produced. It got me thinking. Do you know what Nobel prizes are awarded for? I think we all know about the Peace prize. The rest are Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine .

I was interested to see who from the UK had won a prize. The list is at the bottom of the page. I was rather surprised by some of the names that were there and perhaps some that weren't. Clearly Winston Churchill deserved a Nobel Prize, but for literature? I was also interested to note that David Trimble was the last UK recipient of a Peace prize. Our last winner of a literature prize was Doris Lessing. I'm not really qualified to comment on the prizes for Physics, Chemistry or Medicine. It is good to see Alexander Fleming inventor of Penecillin there. I guess I was surprised that I didn't see Stephen Hawkings name in there. He is probably the physicist who is best known.

Anyway, I thought I'd compile my own list. As I said, I can't really comment too much on the scientific categories, beyond the obvious one.

1. Sir Bob Geldolf/Midge Ure - Peace prize for Live Aid/Band Aid
2. Joni Mitchell - Literature
3. Stephen Hawkings - Physics
4. JK Rowling - Literature
5. Pope Francis - Peace
6. Tim Berners Lee (inventor of the world Wide Web) - Medicine
7. Ken Loach - Peace
8. John Lydon - Literature
9. Julio Palmaz (inventor of the vascular stent) - Medicine
10. Paul Simon - Literature

Here's why
1. Sir Bob Geldolf/Midge Ure - Peace prize for Live Aid/Band Aid
Saved millions of people. I was amazed not to see them in the list.

2. Joni Mitchell - Literature
An awesome wordsmith. If Bob Dylan deserves a prize then Ms Mitchell most certainly does. The list of winners is very light in females. I think women are often overlooked.

3. Stephen Hawkings - Physics
Popularised physics. An inspiration to us all.

4. JK Rowling - Literature
I suspect that no one on the planet has got more people picking up books than JK Rowling. For that alone she deserves the prize. I suspect she's not highbrow enough for the panel.

5. Pope Francis - Peace
For most of my life I've felt a bit embarrassed to say I'm a Roman Catholic. Pope Francis has changed that. A truly spiritual man who seems to me to be doing hs best to spread peace and reconciliation.

6. Tim Berners Lee (inventor of the world Wide Web) - Medicine
Can someone who doesn't work in the field win the prize? Tim Berners Lee should, because the World Wide Web has transformed medicine.

7. Ken Loach - Peace
Ken Loach has spent his life educating us all through his films. I can't think of anyone who deserves a Nobel prize more.

8. John Lydon - Literature
To some this may seem an odd choice, but to me Lydon is the epitome of the triumph of the underdog His lyrics are sharp and difficult and his books spiky, but I believe he's made a huge difference and has taught many of us who felt downtrodden to stand up for ourselves. 

9. Julio Palmaz (inventor of the vascular stent) - Medicine
I've got at least half a dozen friends who have been saved by vascular stents. It is one of my missions to get Juli Palmaz a bit of recognition, if for no other reason than he's given me many precious evenings with friends who would probably have died.

10. Paul Simon - Literature
To me another one up there with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Simon has done more than anyone to popularise world music. His songs are beautiful and haunting.

And here's the full list of UK winners. I'm both proud of it and slighly disappointed.

United Kingdom

1. Oliver Hart, Economics, 2016
2. Fraser Stoddart, Chemistry, 2016
3. David J. Thouless, Physics, 2016
4. F. Duncan M. Haldane, Physics, 2016
5. John M. Kosterlitz, Physics, 2016
6. Angus Deaton, Economics, 2015
7. Tomas Lindahl, born in Sweden, Chemistry, 2015
8. John O'Keefe, born in the United States, Physiology or Medicine, 2014
9. Michael Levitt*, as an Israeli citizen, Chemistry, 2013
10. Peter Higgs, Physics, 2013
11. John B. Gurdon, Physiology or Medicine, 2012
12. Konstantin Novoselov, born in Russia, Physics, 2010
13. Robert G. Edwards, Physiology or Medicine, 2010
14. Doris Lessing, born in Iran, Literature, 2007
15. Sir Martin J. Evans, Physiology or Medicine, 2007
16. Oliver Smithies*, Physiology or Medicine, 2007
17. Harold Pinter, Literature, 2005
18. Clive W. J. Granger*, Economics, 2003
19. Anthony J. Leggett*, Physics, 2003
20. Peter Mansfield, Physiology or Medicine, 2003
21. Sydney Brenner, born in South Africa, Physiology or Medicine, 2002
22. John E. Sulston, Physiology or Medicine, 2002
23. Tim Hunt, Physiology or Medicine, 2001
24. Paul Nurse, Physiology or Medicine, 2001
25. V. S. Naipaul, born in Trinidad, Literature, 2001
26. David Trimble, Peace, 1998
27. John Pople, Chemistry, 1998
28. John E. Walker, Chemistry, 1997
29. Harold Kroto, Chemistry, 1996
30. James A. Mirrlees, Economics, 1996
31. Joseph Rotblat*, born in then Russian Empire, now Poland, Peace, 1995
32. Richard J. Roberts, Physiology or Medicine, 1993
33. Michael Smith*, Chemistry, 1993
34. Ronald Coase,based in the United States Economics, 1991
35. James W. Black, Physiology or Medicine, 1988
36. Niels Kaj Jerne*, Physiology or Medicine, 1984
37. César Milstein, born in Argentina, Physiology or Medicine, 1984
38. Richard Stone, Economics, 1984
39. William Golding, Literature, 1983
40. Aaron Klug, born in Lithuania, Chemistry, 1982
41. John Robert Vane, Physiology or Medicine, 1982
42. Elias Canetti, born in Bulgaria, Literature, 1981
43. Frederick Sanger, Chemistry, 1980
44. Arthur Lewis, born on St. Lucia, Economics, 1979
45. Godfrey Hounsfield, Physiology or Medicine, 1979
46. Peter D. Mitchell, Chemistry, 1978
47. James Meade, Economics, 1977
48. Nevill Francis Mott, Physics, 1977
49. Amnesty International, Peace, 1977
50. Betty Williams, Peace, 1976
51. John Cornforth, born in Australia, Chemistry, 1975
52. Christian de Duve*, Physiology or Medicine, 1974
53. Friedrich Hayek, born in Austria, Economics, 1974
54. Martin Ryle, Physics, 1974
55. Antony Hewish, Physics, 1974
56. Patrick White*, Literature, 1973
57. Geoffrey Wilkinson, Chemistry, 1973
58. Brian David Josephson, Physics, 1973
59. Rodney Robert Porter, Physiology or Medicine, 1972
60. John Hicks, Economics, 1972
61. Dennis Gabor, born in Hungary, Physics, 1971
62. Bernard Katz, born in Germany, Physiology or Medicine, 1970
63. Derek Harold Richard Barton, Chemistry, 1969
64. Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, Chemistry, 1967
65. George Porter, Chemistry, 1967
66. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, Chemistry, 1964
67. Andrew Huxley, Physiology or Medicine, 1963
68. Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, Physiology or Medicine, 1963
69. John Kendrew, Chemistry, 1962
70. Max Perutz, born in Austria, Chemistry, 1962
71. Francis Crick, Physiology or Medicine, 1962
72. Maurice Wilkins, born in New Zealand, Physiology or Medicine, 1962
73. Peter Medawar, born in Brazil (British citizen only), Physiology or Medicine, 1960
74. Philip Noel-Baker, Peace, 1959
75. Frederick Sanger, Chemistry, 1958
76. Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Chemistry, 1957
77. Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, Chemistry, 1956
78. Max Born, born in then Germany, now Poland, Physics, 1954
79. Winston Churchill, Literature, 1953
80. Hans Adolf Krebs, born in Germany, Physiology or Medicine, 1953
81. Archer John Porter Martin, Chemistry, 1952
82. Richard Laurence Millington Synge, Chemistry, 1952
83. John Cockcroft, Physics, 1951
84. Bertrand Russell, Literature, 1950
85. Cecil Frank Powell, Physics, 1950
86. John Boyd Orr, Peace, 1949
87. T. S. Eliot, born in the United States, Literature, 1948
88. Patrick Blackett, Baron Blackett, Physics, 1948
89. Edward Victor Appleton, Physics, 1947
90. Robert Robinson, Chemistry, 1947
91. Friends Service Council, Peace, 1947
92. Ernst Boris Chain, born in Germany, Physiology or Medicine, 1945
93. Alexander Fleming, Physiology or Medicine, 1945
94. George Paget Thomson, Physics, 1937
95. Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, Peace, 1937
96. Norman Haworth, Chemistry, 1937
97. Henry Hallett Dale, Physiology or Medicine, 1936
98. James Chadwick, Physics, 1935
99. Arthur Henderson, Peace, 1934
100. Norman Angell, Peace, 1933
101. Paul Dirac, Physics, 1933
102. Charles Scott Sherrington, Physiology or Medicine, 1932
103. John Galsworthy, Literature, 1932
104. Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian, Physiology or Medicine, 1932
105. Arthur Harden, Chemistry, 1929
106. Frederick Hopkins, Physiology or Medicine, 1929
107. Owen Willans Richardson, Physics, 1928
108. Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Physics, 1927
109. Austen Chamberlain, Peace, 1925
110. George Bernard Shaw, born in Ireland, Literature, 1925
111. John James Rickard Macleod*, Physiology or Medicine, 1923
112. Francis William Aston, Chemistry, 1922
113. Frederick Soddy, Chemistry, 1921
114. Charles Glover Barkla, Physics, 1917
115. William Henry Bragg, Physics, 1915
116. William Lawrence Bragg, born in Australia, Physics, 1915
117. Ernest Rutherford, born in New Zealand, Chemistry, 1908
118. Rudyard Kipling*, born in India, Literature, 1907
119. J. J. Thomson, Physics, 1906
120. John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, Physics, 1904
121. William Ramsay, Chemistry, 1904
122. William Randal Cremer, Peace, 1903
123. Ronald Ross*, born in India, Physiology or Medicine, 1902