Max-Planck - a cradle for Nobel Prizes
Ferenc Krausz received the Nobel Prize in Physics in Stockholm on December 10, 2023. This marked the sixth consecutive prize for the Max Planck Society since 2020 and the 31st Nobel Prize Laureate in total, dating back to its origins in the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (KWG). The big question is: will the winning streak continue this year?
Starting on 7 October, the excitement around the Nobel Prizes will once again capture the world’s attention. The announcements will begin in Stockholm on Monday, with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, typically revealed around midday. The prize, founded by Alfred Nobel, has been awarded in a total of six categories since 1901. This year, researchers from the Max Planck Society are once again among the leading contenders for a prize in the natural science disciplines of chemistry, physics, and physiology or medicine.
A reason to celebrate
Since its foundation, the Max Planck Society (including its predecessor institution, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society) has produced 31 Nobel Prize winners. The most recent was Ferenc Krausz from the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, who won the Physics Nobel Prize in 2023, alongside Pierre Agostini from Ohio State University (USA) and Anne L'Huillier from Lund University (Sweden). The Nobel Committee honoured all three for their pioneering work in attosecond physics. An attosecond is a billionth of a billionth of a second.
With laser pulses lasting only a few attoseconds, the movements of individual electrons can be tracked. This not only provides fundamental insights into the behaviour of electrons in atoms, molecules, and solids but could also help in the development of faster electronic components. Ferenc Krausz is also working on a medical application: in the future, novel blood scans could help diagnose diseases at early stages.
Only one university has been more successful
Krausz is the 31st Nobel laureate from the Max Planck Society, according to the Nobel Foundation's records. In terms of natural science Nobel Prizes, the Max Planck Society ranks second globally, just behind the University of California and ahead of Harvard University. Since 2020, Max Planck researchers have received the award every year, with double honours in two categories in 2020 and 2021.
Digital story provides insights
The Max Planck Society offers a comprehensive look at this topic through its digital story, "Pioneers of Science: The Nobel Laureates of the Max Planck Society". This resource also provides extensive information about the "Nobel system" and Nobel Week. The story traces history far back, starting with Richard Willstätter, who in 1915 was the first researcher from the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (which later became the Max Planck Society in 1948) to receive the award.
Eight thematic stories explore how Nobel Prize-winning research has transformed everyday life and how science has revolutionized our worldview—including our understanding of the power of research. Striking examples from Max Planck’s history include the discovery of nuclear fission and Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Following the footsteps of Nobel Laureates
Those living in and around Berlin can also participate in a special tour: "Following the Footsteps of the Nobel Laureates." Few other places have seen as many Nobel laureates at the same time as Dahlem. Participants on the tour will learn interesting facts about the research and lives of these scientists—from Albert Einstein to Werner Heisenberg.
