The Nobel Prize & Me (and Gothenburg!)

Hey everyone! So you might be wondering, because of my previous post (if you haven't read it yet, do check it out!), why I suddenly name-dropped Gothenburg. A museum in Gothenburg... Where did that come from? Well, the thing is a lot has happened in the past months, and I mean A LOT. 

Long story short, I boarded a 13-hour flight from pleasant and docile Bangalore to the country of Ikea, dark winters, and ABBA, and stuffed everything I ever owned in 2 check-ins and cabin bags. 

Everything has happened so quick that I never got to truly feel anything. I have felt like a bystander to the train of my life, watching it go by, never being able to get on it or experience the journey wholeheartedly. Now that time seems to be stabilizing, I have been reflecting on these past days, every day thinking "Oh, this would make a good blog post" and then finally letting my thoughts be lost in the flurry of my mind. However today, I finally sat down at my desk, opened up Blogger, blew the dust off, and started to really think. 

When I first heard that I was going to be moving to Sweden, I was surprised of course, because it was all of a sudden. I had already started my new school year in India, and it would be heartbreaking to tell my friends that in a month I would be off! Slowly, I started processing what this change would mean, and the first thing that I saw imprinted on my mind was the Nobel Prize. The Land of the Nobel Prize.

Those who know me, know that I come along with a huge bag of Marie Curie fangirling, pictures of the Nobel Medal plastered on my mood boards, and a deep, deep passion for the sciences. I always make it a mandatory event to watch the Nobel Prize announcements and the ceremony and vehemently stalk the scientists later. It has been my cozy tradition for many years and I've always held a great deal of respect for the incredible research that deems worthy of this coveted prize. It is a huge part of my life and if you had told 10-year-old Maith that she would be standing face-to-face with Schrödinger's Nobel Diploma and hearing Nobel Laureates speak live, she would have cried her eyes out, laughing. 

But I am so grateful, that this year I was able to experience exactly this. A dream I never thought would materialize, but here it is! 

First up, 

The Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm

In October, my dad and I decided to do a little bit of exploring and head to the buzzing city of Sweden, Stockholm. Of course, the enchanting Kungliga slottet's (The King's Palace) lavish chandeliers and the rustic sculptures aboard the Vasa Ship had their own charm, but nothing could compare to the scintillating aura of the belle of the ball, the Nobel Prize Museum. Nestled in Gamla stan (Old Town), this museum truly has a whiff of intellectualism. If you look up at the ceiling, you see a conveyor belt of the names and pictures of every person who has ever won the Nobel Prize, a chandelier of the world's brightest gems for sure. I felt absolutely at home. 

We spent a good 4 hours, unraveling every nook and cranny of the museum. We had the most delicious lunch at Bistro Nobel and I sat on a chair autographed by Economics prize winner Richard H Thaler! It was so fun seeing the little goodies each winner shared from their own journeys in Science, Literature, and Peace, and I even got to eat chocolate medals! The whole atmosphere breathed great souls and vibrant thought processes, and I was definitely inspired. 

And this is the Schrödinger diploma, I was talking about 🤩

I love the museum with all my veins and I truly think that it is a sanctuary of scientific thinking. 

And now, *drumroll please* 

The Nobel Week Dialogue

As you know, the first week of December is the most magical time of the year- the Nobel Prize Ceremony happening in 3-hours-away- Stockholm. There are events planned throughout the week to engage minds and shower love to the laureates. One of the events organized by the committee is called Nobel Week Dialogue, where they bring together laureates, experts, professors, and students to discuss a topic in great depth. It is a 5-hour program with talks, debates, music and film. This year, thankfully, this event took place in Gothenburg. I was feeling a bit sad that all the lectures and ceremonies would be taking place in Stockholm, but this compensated for it (at least a little bit, haha!). This year's topic was 'The Future of Migration' something that I experienced quite recently, so I was definitely intrigued to know more about it! 

The conference was an absolute thrill! Hearing from eminent people from the UNHRC, Red Cross, University of Gothenburg, Max Planck Institute, etc, and understanding the different ways migration has shaped our evolution, was mindblowing! The sheer empathy for humanity by these people is heartwarming and sitting amongst a diverse audience truly added to the experience. And when the three laureates, Abdulrazak Gurnah (Lit '21), Dr. Steven Chu (Phy '97), and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian (Medicine '21), my heart skipped a beat. Literally, I sat in my chair, awestruck trying to take pictures but my hands trembling in excitement. This moment felt a bit closer to my heart because I remember watching the Nobel Prize announcement for Medicine in 2021 at home on my couch and then seeing Dr. Patapoutian on stage a few meters away from me, was mindblowing. Just mindblowing. 💖

The cherry on top of this perfect day was that Dr. Patapoutian liked my tweet about the session and his panel!! What a silly little thing to feel giddy about, am I right?? *internally screaming*

But it was a magical day, and I am tremendously grateful for it! 

The Nobel Prize has been an integral part of my life since time immemorial, and I know it will continue to be a major facet of me in the days to come as well! Now, that we have officially entered the Nobel Mood, I encourage you to watch the live stream of the Prize Ceremony on the 10th of December and continue to follow the medal's journey from one hand to another, uniting the scientific minds and accelerating our world's progress. It is a burst of inspiration for young minds and an incredible goal to chase after! 

Well, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading this post! I have always wanted to do a Nobel-themed post, and this one seemed like the perfect opportunity! 

Do you follow the Nobel Prize? Have you visited the museum in Stockholm or attended an event in Nobel Week? Have you been to Gothenburg? What is your favorite branch of science? Which scientist inspires you the most? Any tips to make my writing better? Are you a blogger too? 

Tell me in the comments! 😁