Inside the Nobel - Winning the World"s Top Prize Takes Dedication, Perseverance and Love
Eleven years ago Dec.
10, my husband, Robert Betts Laughlin, walked up to King Gustaf of Sweden and bowed his head to receive his Nobel Prize medal.
Bob accepted his leather-bound diploma, shook hands, and then turned to bow in appreciation to the members of the Swedish Academy, other Nobel laureates and to an audience of millions watching the ceremony on television from all over the world.
I sat with my family in the second row of Stockholm's grand City Hall, tearfully acknowledging Bob's steady gaze as he bowed onstage.
He had worked so tenaciously to earn the right to stand on that stage, I could almost detect his sigh of relief and pride that his creative work had finally been recognized in this way.
Bob won the Nobel Prize in Physics along with two colleagues for work he had done 14 years earlier as a young theoretical physicist in what is known as the fractional quantum hall effect.
It was only after his work had been verified by two independent labs and reviewed that we got word he had won the Nobel Prize.
Now as we prepare to recognize this year's Nobel Prize and Nobel Peace Prize recipients on Dec.
10, it is a good time to reflect on the awesome dedication that goes into winning the world's most prestigious academic honor.
As you watch the recipients receiving the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, think of their single-minded commitment to expand knowledge and improve life for all humanity.
The Nobel Prize is awarded to people who have completed outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society.
The Prize is awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm on Dec.
10, the date on which benefactor Alfred Nobel died.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded the same day in Oslo, Norway.
This year five of the 13 new Nobel Laureates are women, the largest number to receive the award in a single year.
The winners' work spans disciplines from medical research into protecting chromosomes to literature, from digital imaging and fiber optics technology to economic research (visit http://nobelprize.
org/ for more details).
Many Nobel Laureates receive the prize for work conducted over a lifetime.
A few, like my husband Bob, receive it at a younger age.
Bob was 47 when he received the award and he was on a short list for several years.
One thing I have noticed about Nobel Prize winners is their strong family connections.
We attended the 100-year anniversary of the prize in 2001.
Every living Nobel Laureate was invited back to Stockholm along with their spouse for the week.
There were lots of opportunities to talk, and family support was a theme I saw repeated across nationalities.
These powerful global leaders in their fields need their families to balance their lives, and their families are enriched by their energy, focus and the Nobel experience.
The Swedes spend a year preparing to host the 1,250 guests who attend the lavish week of musical and flower-filled ceremonies to honor the laureates and their families.
Nothing is left to chance.
All is flawlessly orchestrated with grace and elegance.
Receiving this highest honor affects not only the laureate and spouse, but the entire extended family over the long term.
All are so proud to have played some role in this human drama.
As you watch the Nobel Prize ceremonies, know that the laureates' families have supported them with love, flexibility and creativity to help them produce these great accomplishments for humanity.
10, my husband, Robert Betts Laughlin, walked up to King Gustaf of Sweden and bowed his head to receive his Nobel Prize medal.
Bob accepted his leather-bound diploma, shook hands, and then turned to bow in appreciation to the members of the Swedish Academy, other Nobel laureates and to an audience of millions watching the ceremony on television from all over the world.
I sat with my family in the second row of Stockholm's grand City Hall, tearfully acknowledging Bob's steady gaze as he bowed onstage.
He had worked so tenaciously to earn the right to stand on that stage, I could almost detect his sigh of relief and pride that his creative work had finally been recognized in this way.
Bob won the Nobel Prize in Physics along with two colleagues for work he had done 14 years earlier as a young theoretical physicist in what is known as the fractional quantum hall effect.
It was only after his work had been verified by two independent labs and reviewed that we got word he had won the Nobel Prize.
Now as we prepare to recognize this year's Nobel Prize and Nobel Peace Prize recipients on Dec.
10, it is a good time to reflect on the awesome dedication that goes into winning the world's most prestigious academic honor.
As you watch the recipients receiving the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, think of their single-minded commitment to expand knowledge and improve life for all humanity.
The Nobel Prize is awarded to people who have completed outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society.
The Prize is awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm on Dec.
10, the date on which benefactor Alfred Nobel died.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded the same day in Oslo, Norway.
This year five of the 13 new Nobel Laureates are women, the largest number to receive the award in a single year.
The winners' work spans disciplines from medical research into protecting chromosomes to literature, from digital imaging and fiber optics technology to economic research (visit http://nobelprize.
org/ for more details).
Many Nobel Laureates receive the prize for work conducted over a lifetime.
A few, like my husband Bob, receive it at a younger age.
Bob was 47 when he received the award and he was on a short list for several years.
One thing I have noticed about Nobel Prize winners is their strong family connections.
We attended the 100-year anniversary of the prize in 2001.
Every living Nobel Laureate was invited back to Stockholm along with their spouse for the week.
There were lots of opportunities to talk, and family support was a theme I saw repeated across nationalities.
These powerful global leaders in their fields need their families to balance their lives, and their families are enriched by their energy, focus and the Nobel experience.
The Swedes spend a year preparing to host the 1,250 guests who attend the lavish week of musical and flower-filled ceremonies to honor the laureates and their families.
Nothing is left to chance.
All is flawlessly orchestrated with grace and elegance.
Receiving this highest honor affects not only the laureate and spouse, but the entire extended family over the long term.
All are so proud to have played some role in this human drama.
As you watch the Nobel Prize ceremonies, know that the laureates' families have supported them with love, flexibility and creativity to help them produce these great accomplishments for humanity.
