Ahead of the official Nobel Prize award ceremonies, which will take place in Stockholm and Oslo on 10th December, Monaco has paid tribute to Alfred Nobel’s legacy by hosting its own Nobel Day event in the presence of former laureate Professor Didier Queloz and Prince Albert II.

On 5th December, Monaco Life attended the Principality’s inaugural Nobel Day, an event designed to celebrate remarkable achievements in science and literature, held at the Lycée Rainier III auditorium.

The Nobel Prizes, a set of six annual awards, honour significant contributions to humanity across disciplines such as physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and economic sciences, as well as peace efforts. The Prizes were formally established in 1901 at the will of Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896).

Speaking at the recent Monaco tribute event, Prince Albert II noted, “These prizes are not just about recognition; they are a reminder of the responsibility we all share.”

He added, “The Nobel Prize has been instrumental in promoting peace and driving scientific progress throughout history. It pushes us to keep exploring and innovating. Alfred Nobel had a vision of a world where science and peace bring humanity together.”

Exploring new frontiers – and beyond

Following remarks from Sweden’s Ambassador to Monaco, Håkan Åkesson, who reflected on the Swedish origins of the Nobel Prize initiative, 2019 Nobel Prize winner for physics Professor Didier Queloz was invited on stage to deliver an insightful talk on his groundbreaking discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star in 1995.

Professor Queloz, who shared the Nobel Prize with Michel Mayor, reshaped modern astronomy with this milestone, opening new avenues for the study of planetary systems beyond our own.

In his lecture, Professor Queloz introduced the captivated audience to the science of exoplanets, explaining how these celestial bodies, located outside our solar system, have deepened our understanding of planetary formation and the potential for extraterrestrial life. His pioneering work has sparked extensive research and remains central to the search for habitable worlds.

“The absence of proof does not mean proof of absence,” said Professor Queloz, pointing out that the lack of current evidence for extraterrestrial life or specific planetary conditions does not rule out their existence.

Professor Queloz also spoke of how the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), set to begin scientific operations in 2027, will significantly enhance our ability to detect and study exoplanets. The ELT will be the largest optical and infrared telescope in the world, enabling astronomers to observe distant celestial objects with unprecedented clarity.

Subsequent presentations included talks by Bernard Mari from the Université Côte d’Azur and Guillaume Stirnemann from École Normale Supérieure (ENS) Paris, which focused on the work of the 2024 Nobel laureates in medicine and chemistry.

Mari explained the work of Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering microRNA’s role in regulating gene expression, a breakthrough in understanding cellular processes and disease mechanisms.

Meanwhile, Stirnemann discussed the work of chemistry laureates David Baker, who advances computational protein design with applications in medicine, and Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, who created AlphaFold, an AI model that predicts protein structures with transformative potential for drug discovery and molecular biology.

The official Nobel Prize award ceremonies will be held at Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden on 10th December, while the Peace Prize ceremony will take place at Oslo City Hall in Norway on the same day.

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Left to right in main photo: Interior Minister Lionel Beffre; Finance and Economy Minister Pierre-André Chiappori; Health and Social Affairs Minister Christophe Robino; Prince Albert II of Monaco; Ambassador of Sweden to Monaco Håkan Åkesson; Professor Didier Queloz; Honorary Consul of Sweden to Monaco Sophie Colette Kraft; and Secretary of State Yvette Lambin-Berti

Photos credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco