Objects in the Nobel Museum, 2075

Knit sock. Provided by Ingrid Moe, winner of the prize for Physics, 2067. The type of connectivity demonstrated in the particular knit pattern was Moe's crucial insight into the structure of the universe, which had nothing to do with anything on this planet, which was frankly a relief considering everything going on when she was doing that research, good grief.

Dried modified aspergillus fungus. Provided by Mohan Katju, winner of the prize for Peace, 2068. Like Marie Curie's balance (see the 1903 and 1911 exhibits), Katju emphasizes that the dried fungus is in the museum as a tool used by the prize winners in their research. The process of using aspergillus and other fungus to remediate heavy metals from water (wastewater, freshwater, seawater) was known even in the late 20th/early 21st century, but Katju's cooperative not only transposed key genes but also got those gene-transposed fungi into the hands of the communities who most needed them--hence a Peace prize when the traditional area for this work would have been Medicine/Physiology.

Head scarf. Provided by Malala Yousafzai, winner of the prize for Peace, 2014. Yousafzai's activism for women's and girls' education in her home country spread in influence over her long life. The early award of the prize meant that she was present as a prize-winner for many later developments and that her insight and perspective became valued to younger recipients. Later Muslim women winners prized her gifts of head scarves, such as Farida Mohammed (see 2038 exhibit) nearly as much as the medal itself.

Brass candlesticks. Provided by Chao Liu Wei, winner of the prize for Chemistry, 2052. These candlesticks provided literal illumination to Chao when he was in the great power outage of 2031 in Harbin, and he was able to continue working on the beryllium chemistry insights that eventually gained him and Lin Li Qiang this prize. While the outages in Harbin continued for the rest of the year, Chao's dedication became a watchword, with theoreticians pooling their resources so that processor time went to those who needed it most and reviving a sense of shared purpose that lifted the spirits not only of northern Chinese chemists but indeed of the field internationally during a crisis that could otherwise have tried the spirits of scientists. When the light had to be shared, how could I do anything but push on to share it with others?" said Chao. Alfred Nobel would have been proud.