2021 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann & Giorgio Parisi

NEW DELHI: The 2021 Nobel Prize for physics has been awarded jointly to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi “for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems.”

"This year's Physics Nobel recognises new methods for describing complex systems and predicting their long-term behaviour. One complex system of vital importance to humankind is Earth’s climate," the Nobel Committee said.

Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann have been jointly awarded one half of prize the “for the physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming.”

Giorgio Parisi has been awarded the other half “for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales.”

Manabe is of US and Japanese origin, Klaus Hasselmann hails from Germany while Parisi is from Italy.

The award has in the past honoured discoveries about fundamental forces of nature and cosmic phenomena.

The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.14 million). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1895.

Last year, the physics prize went to Roger Penrose of Britain, Reinhard Genzel of Germany and Andrea Ghez of the US, three pioneers in the field of black holes, from which nothing, not even light, can escape.

The medicine prize kicked off the 2021 Nobel season on Monday, going to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for breakthroughs that paved the way for the treatment of chronic pain.

Hungary's Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman of the US — who pioneered the technology behind the mRNA vaccines against Covid-19 and who were among the favourites for Monday's medicine prize — could have a shot at the chemistry prize announced on Wednesday.

The two most closely watched prizes, for literature and peace, will follow on Thursday and Friday.