In my last post, I gave a brief overview of the Nobel prize winners in chemistry this year and their work in developing the lithium-ion battery that revolutionised the world in remarkable ways. None of the smart devices that we use today could have been possible without this battery.
In this post, I am going to talk about the Nobel Prize winners in Physics which has been awarded for furthering mankind's understanding of the evolution of our universe and also for the discovery of exoplanets.
Nobel Winners In Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2019 has been jointly awarded to three scientists - James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for their contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos. James Peebles received one half of the prize while the remaining half was jointly awarded to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz.
The topic of how the universe originated and how it evolved over the billions of years after its inception is an important one as it enhances our understanding of our reality and all the forces of nature that are involved. This understanding is what James Peebles has contributed to after decades of work.
He predicted the cosmic microwave background radiation which alone has helped scientists learn so much about the universe and its evolution. He also played an important role in establishing the problem of dark matter and the understanding that all that we observe in the universe makes up just 5% of it. The remaining is yet to be understood and it is estimated that 26% of the universe is made of dark matter while 69% is made up of dark energy.
Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have been recognised for their discovery of the first planet outside of the solar system (planet 51 Pegasi b), a gaseous exoplanet revolving around a solar-type star in the Milky Way galaxy.
Their discovery started the revolution that has resulted in the discovery of over 4000 exoplanets till now. This has led to a greater understanding of how planets form and evolve over a course of time and might in the future even lead us to the discovery of life on other planets.