This years 2024 Nobel prizes. Get to know the Nobel Minds behind.

Physics - Geoffrey Hinton and John J. Hopfield “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks”

This year’s laureates used tools from physics to construct methods that helped lay the foundation for today’s powerful machine learning. John Hopfield created a structure that can store and reconstruct information. Geoffrey Hinton invented a method that can independently discover properties in data and which has become important for the large artificial neural networks now in use.

Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of AI, and John J. Hopfield, are two luminaries in the field of science, with significant contributions to artificial intelligence, neural networks, and neuroscience. Born in 1947 in London, Hinton studied psychology and AI in the UK before making his mark in North America. His pivotal work includes the development of the backpropagation algorithm, which was instrumental in training neural networks, thereby laying groundwork for the field of deep learning. Hinton's further innovations include deep belief networks and more recently, capsule networks, aiming to improve how machines interpret spatial relationships. His career has been marked by prestigious positions at institutions like the University of Toronto and Google, culminating in receiving the Turing Award in 2018 for his contributions to AI.

John J. Hopfield, born in 1933 in Chicago, initially studied physics under Richard Feynman at Cornell. His career spanned prestigious institutions like UC Berkeley, Princeton, and Caltech. Hopfield's most recognized contribution is the Hopfield network, an associative memory model that has been crucial in understanding how biological systems store and retrieve information. This work not only influenced AI but also provided insights into biological neural networks. Beyond AI, Hopfield has explored the physics of biological systems, notably in protein folding, connecting fundamental physical principles with biological processes. His interdisciplinary approach earned him the National Medal of Science in 2015.

Together, Hinton and Hopfield have shaped the way we think about computation, learning, and memory both in machines and biological systems, leaving a lasting legacy in scientific research.

Chemistry - David Baker, Demis Hassabis John Jumper

“For computational protein design and protein structure prediction methods”

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 is about proteins, life’s ingenious chemical tools. David Baker has succeeded with the almost impossible feat of building entirely new kinds of proteins. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper have developed an AI model to solve a 50-year-old problem: predicting proteins’ complex structures. These discoveries hold enormous potential.

David Baker:

- Born in 1962 in Seattle, Washington, Baker studied philosophy and social sciences at Harvard University before switching to biology in his last year. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1984 and a PhD in biochemistry from UC Berkeley. He's known for pioneering computational protein design at the University of Washington.[](https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Baker-biochemist)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Baker_(biochemist))

Demis Hassabis:

- Born in 1976 in London, England, to a Greek-Cypriot father and Singaporean mother. A child prodigy in chess, he completed his A-levels at 16. Hassabis studied computer science at Cambridge, worked in video game design at Bullfrog Productions, and later earned a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from UCL. He co-founded DeepMind, which was acquired by Google, focusing on AI research.

John Jumper:

- Specific details on Jumper's early life are less publicized, but he is known for his work at Google DeepMind where he developed AlphaFold, an AI system for protein structure prediction. Jumper shares the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work alongside Hassabis and Baker.[](https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/nobel-prize-in-chemistry-awarded-to-david-baker-demis-hassabis-and-john-jumper-for-work-on-proteins/2RBEAY35UBE2XECJ3GIFMZE2LE/)[](https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/demis-hassabis-john-jumper-awarded-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/)

Medicine or Physiology - Gary Ruvkun, Victor Ambros

“for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation”

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery in the small worm C. elegans revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation. This turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function.

In the world of molecular biology, two names stand out for revolutionizing our understanding of gene regulation: Gary Ruvkun and Victor Ambros. Born in 1952 in Berkeley, California, Ruvkun embarked on his scientific journey at UC Berkeley, later earning a Ph.D. from Harvard. His career took him to prestigious institutions like MIT and Harvard Medical School, where he made groundbreaking discoveries. Meanwhile, Victor Ambros, born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, began his academic voyage at MIT, securing a Ph.D. under the mentorship of David Baltimore. His research path led him through MIT and eventually to Dartmouth College, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Together, these scientists unveiled the mysterious world of microRNAs. Ambros identified the first known microRNA, lin-4, in the worm C. elegans, revealing a novel way genes are controlled. Ruvkun complemented this discovery by exploring how lin-4 regulates mRNA translation and introducing let-7, a microRNA found in many species, highlighting its evolutionary significance. Their collaborative efforts peeled back layers of genetic complexity, earning them the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their work has not only shaped our understanding of biology but also opened new avenues in medical research, proving that sometimes, the tiniest molecules can have the most profound impacts.

Literature - Han Kang

“for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”

In her oeuvre, Han Kang confronts historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and, in each of her works, exposes the fragility of human life. She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose.

Han Kang is also known for her novel "The Vegetarian," which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.

Here's an excerpts from "The Vegetarian":

> "Before my wife turned vegetarian, I'd always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way."

> "She was no longer able to see herself through the gaze of others, nor through her own eyes."

Han Kang grew up in Gwangju, South Korea. Here's a brief overview of her life:

Early Life: Born in 1970 in Gwangju, she experienced the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, which later influenced her work.

Education: She studied Korean literature at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Career: After graduating, she initially worked as a teacher but soon turned to writing full-time. Her early works were poetry and short stories.

Breakthrough: She gained international recognition with "The Vegetarian" (2007), which was translated into English and won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.

Notable Works: Besides "The Vegetarian," she's known for novels like "Human Acts" (2014), which deals with the Gwangju Uprising, and "The White Book" (2016).

Her writing often explores themes of trauma, memory, and the human condition, with a particular focus on the body and its relationship to identity and society.