panaji
Peppered with inspiring stories of Nobel laureates, their experiments in science and technology and the final results of their research work, the ongoing exhibition, ‘The Nobel Prize: Ideas Changing the World’ is a must for all those who today are enjoying the fruits of these innovations and inventions.
Produced by the Nobel Museum, the exhibition highlights some of the discoveries that have changed our daily lives. This is the part most enjoyable for children as well as adults. Students are seen flocking to have a glimpse into the lives of those Noble laureates whose inventions have changed modern life making it better.
The exhibition explores the Nobel Prize and how it affects our lives, offering a unique opportunity to learn about the life of Alfred Nobel, view actual objects belonging to Nobel laureates and see how Nobel Prize-awarded discoveries have shaped our lives and will continue to do so even in the future.
The Nobel Prizes tell the story of developments made within the different prize categories. There are on display the various aspects of the Nobel Prize, and its categories - Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences. From the armband worn by Red-Cross personnel during the First World War, to the transistor radio which was invented in 1948 and to the Amnesty International button which became a symbol of showing solidarity with political prisoners throughout the world - the exhibition holds all of this. Computers, display monitors and telephones are built from components that grew from Nobel-Prize-awarded discoveries and inventions. How laser pointers, holograms, and LED lamps also have direct and indirect connections to the Nobel Prize, is being shown here.
A hard drive, efforts for refugees, blood transfusion, vaccine against yellow fever, organ donation, ECG and MRI techniques, efficient lighting, penicillin, hypodermic needles, plastic and synthetic fertilizers - all these discoveries that changed the face of mankind are being displayed here with pride.
Whereas a part of the exhibition has examples of everyday items and images with links to Nobel Prize and another pavilion displays one item from each decade past. Each of these items is linked to a Nobel Prize, but also says something about its era. A touchscreen in the centre provides more information about the Nobel Prize over the years. The exhibition also has information about the Infosys Prize endeavours that are awarded for elevating the prestige of science and research in India and inspire young Indians to choose a vocation in research.
Another pavilion invites the visitors to consider how one would view the future and how best its challenges could be met. There are conversations between people with different ideas about what is more important to our future and what or who is right.
The exhibition also leaves a question mark in the minds of the onlookers regarding the future - what are the major challenges we will face tomorrow? This cannot be known in advance, though one can identify areas that are believed to be important to shape the future, such as energy and climate, water and food as well as disease and health.
A section of the exhibition is devoted exclusively to this concept with an indication that perhaps, future Nobel Prizes will reward efforts that unlock the answers to problems faced by the mankind in these areas.
There are hopes and dreams inscribed on the walls indicating that our future could be different - with access to clean drinking water to all and finding alternative solutions for energy problems replacing the depleting coal and oil reserves. Chemical fertilizer free food, medicines for so-called incurable diseases, pollution-free, clean climate and environment, successful organ implants are but only few of them.
The month-long exhibition which is about the founder of Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel who lived a multifaceted life and the Nobel Prize, the laureates and their discoveries, is open for public from 9.30 am till 7 pm and is free of charge.
