alt Hacker NewsHmmm. This years' nobel prizes are a bit more boring compared to prior ones. I understand that not all ideas or inventions are created equal, but I prefer more raw epicness.
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What do you mean boring? MOFs are a fascinating area of chemistry. Outside of nature, they are most likely our best example of rationally designed nanoscale systems. In chemistry, rational design - that based on rules - is a rare thing. Molecules bump around and stick together in unpredictable ways, but MOFs allow us to create very well defined nanoscale frameworks. They’re famously tricky, though!
While quantum-tunneling is quite niche I think it's given to demonstrate something with everyday life application (considering the outsized impact of microprocessors on society).
This MoF thing is quite damn cool though, advancing moisture capturing in arid regions itself is big.
But also being able to separate chemicals in a more controlled manner sounds like something really groundbreaking that will probably impact chemistry for a long time to come.
You'll have to wait for the Nobel Peace Prize announcement if you want to see some "epicness" this year.
This seems pretty epic to me- an entirely new material primitive with novel real world properties
Nobel prizes in Physics and Chemistry tend to be awarded long after discovery. It's part of the process in evaluating the impact of a specific discovery.
That being said, you get stuff like high Tc superconductors that are awarded the following year: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1987/press-release...
Last years were rather tortured. It feels weird to give the chemistry prize to the CEO of a computer science lab.
How about the Ig Nobel Prize? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ig_Nobel_Prize
Rather than scoff at the selection, maybe use the opportunity to recalibrate and expand what one considers “interesting”?
When you have a yearly prize, you're bound to get off-years. Maybe the Nobels should be structured to only be given out every 4 years, like the Olympics. But that would be a huge blow to the Stockholm hospitality business.
The Nobel prizes are not there to produce good sounding opeds and "epic" news to entertain the general public.
It’s a prize given to scientists to highlight and encourage valuable research according to a jury of pairs.