Omnipotent: Can the invention of the energy industry win the Nobel Prize?

Will the next Nobel Prize appear in the energy sector? We first thought that there was such a possibility. From the perspective of broad energy development trends and possibilities, we can still boldly conjecture.

If we say that the generator is one of the greatest inventions of mankind, I believe no one will object. It is true that generators have been allowed to be discovered and applied, which has brought endless possibilities for human production and life. Since the application of electricity in the 1830s, it has brought about a new way of energy use. Since then, more than 180 years of energy transformation and clean utilization have been carried out around electricity. The application of electricity laid the foundation for many inventions to win the Nobel Prize in physics. The recently awarded LED lamp is one example.

Will the next or next Nobel Prize appear in the energy sector? Can we have to say another thing? Let’s first think about this possibility and sit down to analyze it. The Nobel Prize has been awarded since 1901, with five prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The Energy Prize for Physics is the closest.

After reading the winning projects in the past 10 years, Xiao Xiao found that the projects that won the Nobel Prize in physics were mostly “discovery types,” such as “discovering giant magnetoresistance effects” and “discovering the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking in subatomic physics”. More than half; and "invented" less, including fiber, graphite and LED lights this year.

According to Xiaoyan, in the field of energy, even if any significant energy is discovered, it needs to be converted into a form that can be widely used. Therefore, “discovery” is almost impossible. Then, the future prize in the energy field should be It is the "invention type" where "technology is king".

For Xiaowen, who studies the text, it is difficult to guess the Nobel Prize in physics, but if you look at the general trend of energy development and possibility, you can still make a bold guess. Xiao Xiao believes that if the energy industry wants to win a Nobel prize, it must meet the following key words: broad, clean, efficient, and integrated.

"Let more people benefit" is the "golden rule" that won the Nobel Prize

Let's start with "broad". According to this year's Nobel Prize Selection Committee, the “young” invention of the “20-year-old” LED light was awarded because the white light source created in this new way has “given us all”. About one-quarter of the world's total electricity generation is used for lighting, so 1.5 billion people would benefit from this if it were calculated based on a global population of 6 billion.

This wide range of applications is sufficient to illustrate the value of this invention. Not only that, at present, a wave of incandescent light is set off across the globe, which also highlights the market opportunities for LEDs. The U.S. government has officially announced at the beginning of this year that a total ban on the production and import of incandescent lamps in the United States will be imposed.

In the same way, the invention and wide application of optical fiber also gave its inventors the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics. The optical fiber made of quartz glass, invented by British and American Chinese monks, has set off a revolution in optical fiber communication throughout the world, and Takayuki's reputation as the “Father of Optical Fiber” has spread throughout the world. Until now, optical fiber is still in the ascendant.

Application is value. The depth and breadth of the application also represent the popularity of an invention, confirming its value. The development of science and technology should be based on the most ground-engaging inventions that best benefit mankind. It is not a matter of studying all day long the secrets of the universe that cannot be invisible. "Benefiting as many people as possible" will be the Nobel Prize for the future. "Golden rule."