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| Alfred
Nobel - Man behind the Prizes |
Alfred
Nobel was born in 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden to a family
of engineers. At age 9, he moved with his family to Russia
where he and his brothers were given first class education
in the humanities and natural sciences by private teachers.
Nobel invented dynamite in 1866 and later built up companies
and laboratories in more than 20 countries all over the
world. A holder of more than 350 patents, he also wrote
poetry and drama and even seriously considered becoming
a writer.
The idea of giving away his fortune was no passing fancy
for Nobel. Efforts to promote peace were close to his
heart and he derived intellectual pleasure from literature,
while science built the foundation for his own activities
as a technological researcher and inventor.
On November 27, 1895, Nobel signed his final will and
testament at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. He died
in his home in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896.
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Excerption from Alfred Nobel's
will
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"I, Alfred Nobel, hereby declare ...
The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be
dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested
in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute
a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed
in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding
year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.
The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts,
which shall be apportioned as follows:
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One
part to the person who shall have made the most important
discovery or invention within the field of physics; one
part to the person who shall have made the most important
chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person
who shall have made the most important discovery within
the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the
person who shall have produced in the field of literature
the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one
part to the person who shall have done the most or the
best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition
or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and
promotion of peace congresses. ...
It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration
whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates,
but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether
he is Scandinavian or not."
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Mini Jokes
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1. Nobel
Prize Winner?
A man is driving down a country road when he spots
a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field
of grass. He pulls the car over to the side of
the road and notices that the farmer is just standing
there, doing nothing, looking at nothing.
The man gets out of the car, walks all the way
out to the farmer and asks him, "Ah excuse
me mister, but what are you doing?"
The farmer replies, "I'm trying to win a
Nobel Prize."
"How?" asks the man, puzzled.
"Well I heard they give the Nobel Prize to
people who are out standing in their field."
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2. Einstein's Cows
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E=MC i.e. Everything
equals Milking Cows. |
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Lead-in
