"The combination of the three of us was very special. I've been trying to recreate that for the rest of my career because it was such an interesting time." – John Martinis In our newest podcast episode host Adam Smith speaks with the 2025 physics laureates – John Martinis, John Clarke and Michel Devoret. They discuss the prize-awarded experiments they conducted over forty years ago, the power of collaboration, curiosity-driven research and the future of quantum computing. Listen to the episode:

On 23 December 1954, twins Richard and Ronald Herrick were wheeled into the operating theatre to undergo the experimental operation. It was the world’s first successful kidney transplant. Surgeon Joseph Murray received the Nobel Prize for his work:

Around 157,000 organs are transplanted every year, giving sick patients another chance of life thanks to the work of Nobel Prize laureates. Learn more:

In 1943, physics laureate Erwin Schrödinger delivered three lectures at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, which turned into his book, 'What is Life?' Multiple scientists, including medicine laureates Francis Crick and James Watson, were influenced by the book, and research still builds upon it.

On International Youth Day, take a look at some of our Nobel Prize laureates in their younger years. Photos: Katalin Kariko as a toddler. Mary Brunkow with her family's first dog, Maggie. Carolyn Bertozzi around the age of 8 or 9 with her cat Fluffy.

"Science begins with doubt and questions." What qualities are needed to become a successful scientist? Hear chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi share some career advice to young researchers. Watch the full interview:

Is this one of the most famous equations in physics? The Schrödinger equation is a cornerstone of quantum physics – the analogue of Newton's second law for quantum mechanics. Its derivation led to Schrödinger, born on this day in 1887, receiving the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics.

What characteristics do you need to become a successful researcher? Economic sciences laureate Peter Howitt shared his thoughts: "Curiosity is number one. And the ability to pursue through failure, because most of what I ever tried didn’t work out. So you just have to keep trying. There’s an old saying that if at first you don’t succeed you should redefine the question. Start looking somewhere else. Keep on searching around until you find something that really works. Persistence is important." Hear more in our interview with Howitt:

Chemistry laureate Akira Yoshino: then and now. Yoshino's interest in chemistry was sparked when he received a copy of Michael Faraday's book 'The Chemical History of a Candle'. He ultimately ended up developing the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery in 1985.

In 1976, three children were killed in a shooting incident in Belfast. Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan – two ordinary women who were touched by the tragedy – launched an appeal against the use of violence in Northern Ireland by founding the Community of Peace People.

How much will artificial intelligence transform the future of science? Nobel Prize laureate Craig Mello is joining us for a discussion in Seoul, South Korea about AI's future role in science. Together with other laureates and leading experts, they will explore what these changes mean for our ability to develop scientific solutions to the urgent challenges we face. Craig Mello received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2006 for his work related to the discovery of RNA interference - gene silencing by double-stranded RNA. Discover more about the 2026 Nobel Prize Dialogue in Seoul:

In the 1930s Arne Tiselius developed a method called electrophoresis, to separate different substances from one another. It has become an important tool in chemical analysis. The picture shows a diagram from Tiselius' Nobel Prize lecture. Read it here:

"If the world does not learn now to show respect to nature, what kind of future will the new generations have?" 1992 peace laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum describes the relationship her people have with the Earth in her #NobelPrize# lecture: 

"At the moment I sat down on my work stool, a powerful flash of light came through the small windows. We were blinded for about 30 seconds." Chemist Osamu Shimomura recalls his childhood experiences from August 1945 when Nagasaki was destroyed by a bomb:

"I am one of the survivors of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. At the time, I was 13 years old, at home, around 3 kilometers east of ground zero. It was August 9, 1945. I suddenly heard the buzzing sound of a bomber jet, and was soon after engulfed in a bright, white light. Surprised, I ran downstairs and got down on the floor, covering my eyes and ears with my hands. The next moment, an intense shock wave passed through our entire house. I have no memory of that moment, but when I came to my senses, I found myself under a large, glass sliding door. It was a miracle that none of the glass was broken, and I was somehow spared injuries. Three days later, I sought out the families of my two aunts who lived in the area near the hypocenter. It was then that I saw the full devastation of the bombing of Nagasaki. Walking with my mother, we went around a small mountain. Reaching a pass, we looked down in horror. Blackened ruins spread out as far as the port of Nagasaki, some three kilometers away. Urakami Cathedral, the largest brick church in the East, had collapsed to the ground, leaving no trace. All the houses along the path, down to the foot of the mountain, were burnt to the ground and corpses lay scattered around them. Many people who were badly injured or burned, but still alive, were left unattended, with no help whatsoever. I became almost devoid of emotion, somehow closing off my sense of humanity, and simply headed intently for my destination. I found the charred body of one aunt at the remains of her house, 400 meters from the hypocenter, along with the body of her grandson, a university student. The other aunt’s house had collapsed and become a pile of wood. My grandfather was crouched down, on the brink of death, with severe burns all over his body. My aunt had been severely burned, and died just before we arrived. We then cremated her remains with our own hands. My uncle, who was initially mostly unharmed, had left the area to seek help. Yet we later learned that he had collapsed at a rescue station, and died after suffering from a high fever for a week. Thus, one single atomic bomb transformed five of my relatives, so mercilessly, taking all of their lives in one fell swoop. The deaths I witnessed at that time could hardly be described as human deaths. There were hundreds of people suffering in agony, unable to receive any kind of medical attention. I strongly felt that even in war, such killing and maiming must never be allowed to happen." 80 years ago a nuclear bomb was dropped on Terumi Tanaka's city of Nagasaki, Japan, killing an estimated 70,000 people. Today Terumi is 93 years old but nuclear weapons still threaten our world. Terumi tells his story to remind us of the inhumane suffering survivors were forced to endure and to secure the abolition of nuclear weapons, which must not be allowed to coexist with humanity. Watch Terumi Tanaka's full testimony at

Ten years after Einstein’s death, physics laureate Roger Penrose demonstrated that black holes can form and described their properties. Penrose’s ground-breaking article is still regarded as the most important contribution to the general theory of relativity since Einstein.

Did you know that physics laureate Roger Penrose and artist M.C. Escher had a remarkable creative dialogue wherein their works inspired each other? Learn more: