Who are the judges? Unworthy Nobel Prize winners

As a rule, when a person becomes a Nobel Prize laureate, it is a deserved regalia, proving that he is an absolute professional in his field. But sometimes people get it, and time proves that they do not deserve it.

1949 Egas Moniz, medicine

When you invent one of the most malignant surgical procedures in the history of medicine, it is quite difficult to justify receiving a reward. And yet in 1949, the Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for the invention of lobotomy.

The doctor drilled a hole in the patient's skull, armed with a long needle called a leukemia, and cut off the frontal lobe from the brain, as if cutting a wire. This manipulation became shocking, and fourteen years later Moniz received a reward for her.

As is known, lobotomy does not have any curative effect, and moreover, it is terrible.

1973 Henry Kissinger, The World

For many, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has nothing to do with the world. Many consider him a war criminal, who organized numerous secret explosions during the Vietnam War. In the book of the writer Christopher Hitchens "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," one can trace the thought that this person should be arrested "for war crimes, for crimes against humanity and violation of international rights, including conspiracies for the purpose of committing murders, abductions and torture."

Need examples? Kissinger was the initiator of the secret bombing in Cambodia, which claimed the lives of innocent people. This helped the Chilean general Augusto Pinochet destroy thousands of dissidents.

Still, Kissinger is the owner of the Nobel Prize, as he worked on a ceasefire during the Vietnam War, which he achieved in January 1973. The war did not end until 1975. Kissinger negotiated a cease-fire and, at the same time, organized raids and explosions in the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. Agree that there is a certain dissonance.

1912 Nils Gustav Dahlen, Physics

The awarding of the Nobel Prize in physics usually means that the laureate somehow changed the angle of the worldview of mankind. Nils Gustav Dahlen received the award for minor improvements in the work of lighthouses.

In 1912, the scientist invented the solar valve Solventil, which regulated the amount of gas light in the lighthouse. With its help, the beacon closed at sunrise and turned on automatically at night. Of course, the economical use of energy and resources is always welcome, but it is unlikely that such an invention is worthy of such a high award.

The original idea of the Committee was to present the prize to Thomas Edison or Nicola Tesla. The problem was that the winners were in the midst of financial hostility, and Tesla refused to participate in the competition. Instead of giving it to one or the other, the committee decided to reward the guy who invented a decent life for the old lighthouses.

1994 Yasir Arafat, the world

Is Yasir Arafat a terrorist or a freedom fighter, largely depends on whose side you are arguing in the disputes between Palestine and Israel. In any case, it's hard to deny that Arafat's Nobel Prize, which he received in 1994 for his desire for peace in the Middle East, looks less than impressive against the background of twenty years of hostility in the Middle East.

In 1993, Arafat, together with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, developed a project to end the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian war. All three received a share in the Nobel Peace Prize next year.

But almost immediately there was a shocking event: during the award ceremony, an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Islamic militants was shot dead during an Israeli rescue operation.

1997. Dario Fo, literature

Probably, this time the committee wanted to surprise everyone. For a long time, the playwright and comics in Italy Fo was very popular.

If we quote one literary critic, he is regarded as an "easy ... brilliantly talented clown". But why did he win?

According to the personal publicist Fo, Michael Earley, perhaps because it looked unpredictable. Earley claims that the Committee did not vote for Rushdie or Miller, because it is "too predictable, too popular."

1958 Joshua Lederberg, Medicine

Esther Lederberg was an amazing microbiologist, but she does not have a Nobel Prize. And her husband, Joshua, became the winner of this award, although he did much less for science. However, it was in 1958, and Esther was a woman. So he got fame, and she stayed in the shadows.

In 1958, Esther and Joshua Lederberg worked at the University of Wisconsin, where she performed many major medical discoveries. First, she discovered bacterial phosphate of the e-coli virus, which paved the way for the study of other more complex viruses. Then she and her husband developed a method called replication, where bacteria move from plate to plate, displaying a mutation such as antibacterial resistance. This ability to destroy the life cycle of bacteria was of great importance for the development of new approaches in antibacterial medicine.

Joshua Lederberg deserved the Nobel Prize? Perhaps, but his wife deserved it more. But what happened was supposed to happen, as the woman rose above her age.

2009 Barack Obama, the world

In 2008, Obama replaced the post of senator to the post of president of the United States. Nine months later, the Nobel Committee decided that it had done enough to be considered a beacon of peace, despite having sent 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan.

As the Committee noted, he was rewarded "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation among peoples". It should be noted that the owner of the honorary award was at the head of the United States for less than a year.

1974 Harry Martinson, literature

In 1974, poet and writer Harry Martinson received the Nobel Prize in Literature. It would be appropriate to note that he received it thanks to staying in the right country and friendly relations with the right people.

According to critics, Martinson was the most sensitive and original poet of his generation. First of all, he was distinguished by the extreme accuracy of his language. But the problem was that very few people heard of him outside his native Sweden.

A good reason why he probably deserved the award is that he got the right to vote. Yes, in 1949, after the publication of his novel "The Road", Martinson was elected to the Committee. It's hard to say if his voice played a decisive role in his awarding, but the fact remains.

1992 Rigoberta Menchu, the world

At first glance, Rigoberta Menchu seems to be the ideal candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. She won it in 1992 "in recognition of her work on social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples." Her book, published in 1983, attracted the attention of the world community. It upheld the rights of Indian peasants fighting against Guatemalan oppression.

But why is the defender of rights not worthy of the prize?

A New York Times reporter, David Stoll, who visited Quiché (Guatemala), had a completely different view of the situation in this region. Apparently, Stoll's extensive studies draw a picture that the Nobel Committee did not want to hear. Menchu and her guerrilla army were just as cruel as the Guatemalan army, but she won the peace prize by presenting her side as benevolent.

2016 Bob Dylan, literature

Obviously, Bob Dylan is a wonderful musician, and his lyrics are one of the most unique in the history of music. Nevertheless, the Nobel Committee, which awarded the Dylan Award in 2016 for literature, caused a flurry of ridicule.

Dylan himself, who almost did not recognize the award within a few months after the victory, refused to pronounce his speech until almost the very last second.

In one of the most original parts of his speech, he mentions that "songs differ from literature: they are meant for singing, not for reading." Later, Dylan confessed that for him, both high art and the Nobel Prize are meaningless for him.