The asymmetry between discoveries and inventions in the Nobel Prize in Physics

Authors: Bartneck, Christoph; Rauterberg, Matthias

Source: Technoetic Arts, Volume 6, Number 1, May 2008 , pp. 73-77(5)

Publisher: Intellect

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Abstract:

This paper presents an empirical study on the frequency of discoveries and inventions that were awarded with the. More than 70 per cent of all Nobel Prizes were given to discoveries. The majority of inventions were awarded at the beginning of the twentieth century and only three inventions had a direct application for society. The emphasis on discoveries moves the Nobel Prize further away from its original intention to reward the greatest contribution to society in the preceding year. We propose to strengthen the role of inventions for the Nobel Prize, which would encourage inventors to tackle important problems, such as global warming or the gap between the first and the third worlds.

Keywords: Nobel Prize in Physics; inventions; discoveries; global warming social application

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/tear.6.1.73_1

Affiliations: 1: Eindhoven University of Technology.

Publication date: 2008-05-28

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Technoetic Arts focuses upon the juncture between art, technology and the mind. Divisions between academic areas of study, once rigidly fixed, are gradually dissolving due to developments in science and cultural practice. This fusion has had a dramatic effect upon the scope of various disciplines. In particular, the profile of art has radically evolved in our present technological culture
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