The Nobel Prize is one of the highest honors available in science. Each year, a highly exclusive group of scientists, known as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, will decide on the recipients for the Nobel prize. The Nobel prize typically goes to multiple people for one discovery, or multiple groups for different discoveries, and the main determining factor for the Nobel prize, is which discovery made the biggest impact on the world in the past year. With this in mind, here are the newest 2019 Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine.

Simple List of all the Recipients:

• Physics
  • James Peebles
  • Michael Mayor
  • Didier Queloz
• Chemistry
  • John B. Goodenough
  • M. Stanley Whittingham
  • Akira Yoshino
• Medicine and Physiology
  • William G. Kaelin Jr. 
  • Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe 
  • Gregg L. Semenza

Explanation of all of the recipients and discoveries:

Nobel Prize for Physics:

The Nobel prize in physics for 2019 was awarded to three different people, for two different discoveries, “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos”. The prize was awarded to:

James Peebles – Princeton University, USA

“For theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology”

James Peebles has contributed to the current understanding of the structure of the universe for over 50 years, and the current model of the universe is primarily due to his theories and discoveries.

Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz – University of Geneva, Switzerland 

“for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star”

This team of two, announced the first discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a sun like star in 1995, since then, over 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered in our solar system, leading to a revolutionary new understanding of our place in the universe.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry:

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2019 was awarded to three different people all relating to “the development of lithium-ion batteries”. It was awarded to:

John B. Goodenough – University of Texas at Austin, USA

Stanley Whittingham – Binghamton University, USA

Akira Yoshino – Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan

These three people have contributed various discoveries and improvements to lithium-ion batteries, improving them over the decades. At this point there is a lithium ion battery in practically everything, from laptops and phones to toothbrushes. The lithium ion battery is such a staple of modern technology due to these three scientists.

Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology:

The Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for 2019 was awarded to three different people “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” It was awarded to:

William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza

These three made major discoveries involving how animal cells detect and use oxygen, and the internal components of a cell that regulate oxygen usage, contributing to the overall understanding of the biological world.

The Nobel Prize is awarded every year for a prize of 1 million USD, and it recognizes some of the most accomplished scientists in the world. It helps to determine the most impactful discoveries upon the world, and let the public know about monumental scientific developments.