The 2026 Nobel Prizes, from neutrinos to the law of war crimes

Every October the Nobel announcements come in quick succession. Together they give a short, unusual picture of what the world currently values in science, writing and public life. The Nobel Prizes series follows all six prizes back to Alfred Nobel's will. This post looks only at the 2026 laureates, one prize at a time.

Physics

The Nobel Prize in Physics went to Francis Halzen, a Belgian-born American physicist. He led the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and the prize recognises its detection of high-energy neutrinos coming from beyond the solar system. It is a prize for opening a new way of observing the universe, with particles rather than light.

Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was shared by Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai. They discovered non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Many molecules come in two mirror-image forms, and their work showed how a small excess of one form can be amplified until the product is almost pure.

Physiology or Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries about light-gated ion channels and for optogenetics. With this technique, researchers can switch individual nerve cells on and off with light, which has become a standard tool for studying the brain.

Literature

The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Anne Carson, a Canadian poet, essayist, translator and classicist. The committee praised a bold and inventive body of work that turns classical literature into new forms of contemporary writing.

Peace

The Nobel Peace Prize went to Navi Pillay for her work for peace and international law, in particular for making sure that war crimes and genocide are prosecuted. The South African judge presided over the Rwanda tribunal and later served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Economic Sciences

The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, first awarded in 1969, went to Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford. Their work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation explains how central banks and governments can keep the economy steady.

Open any of the six timelines to see where this year's laureates fit among more than a century of earlier winners.