Inspiration from Notable Figures

Having earned a Ph.D. in Network and Data Science, my fascination with Physics has remained a constant source of motivation. Growing up in Hungary, I was particularly inspired by the accomplishments of a group known as "The Martians," who were eminent scientists that emigrated to the US during World War II. Notably, some of them attended the same high school.

Among these influential figures was Leó Szilárd, who not only formulated the theory of nuclear chain reactions but also co-invented the refrigerator alongside Albert Einstein and Eugene Wigner. Wigner, a key player in the Manhattan Project, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963. This highlights the rich legacy of Hungarian laureates, with 18 Nobel Prizes attributed to those of Hungarian descent.

Remarkably, these 18 prizes represent only about three percent of the total Nobel Awards granted since the prize's inception in 1901. To date, approximately 600 prizes have been awarded to nearly a thousand laureates across various fields, including Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economics. The NobelPrize.org website offers intriguing statistics, including details about the youngest (17 years old) and oldest (97 years old) laureates, as well as multiple winners like John Bardeen and Marie Curie.

The Curie family's significant impact on the Nobel Prize is particularly noteworthy. Marie Curie shared her first award with her husband, Pierre, and later received a second prize on her own. Their daughter, Irène Curie, also won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935, alongside her husband, Frédéric Joliot. A prominent gathering of laureates occurred during the 1911 Solvay Conference on Physics, which featured an impressive array of scientists, with 27 out of 29 participants either having won or later receiving the Nobel Prize.

Building the Nobel Network

The stories of the Martians, the Curie family, and the Solvay Conference suggest a complex social network among Nobel laureates. To explore this, I utilized Wikipedia, collecting the text from each laureate’s page to analyze their connections.

By tallying the mentions of other laureates within each page, I constructed a network consisting of 682 nodes and 588 links. Each node represents a laureate, with the strength of the connection between two nodes reflecting the frequency of their mutual references. I also recorded the total view counts of each laureate’s Wikipedia page, adjusting the node sizes according to these figures. This scaling highlighted those who are more widely recognized. The completed network visualization utilized color coding to differentiate the various scientific disciplines.

Figure 1. Visualization of the Nobel laureate network, showcasing connections based on Wikipedia cross-references.

Insights from the Nobel Network

One of the most striking features of this network is its core-periphery structure. At the center lies a substantial connected component, comprising over 30 percent of the nodes, surrounded by smaller, fragmented groups. The most common sizes for these smaller components are two and three nodes, which aligns with the fact that Nobel Prizes can be shared by a maximum of three individuals.

The central nodes are larger, indicating a significantly higher visibility and search interest, as demonstrated by the median Wikipedia view count of 351,005 for the central group compared to 170,510 for the peripheral nodes. Thus, it is evident that the central clique enjoys far greater popularity.

But who comprises this core? The color coding—greenish hues for sciences and reddish tones for humanities—helps distinguish between these fields. The science side is robust, featuring luminaries like Albert Einstein and Max Planck, with deep roots in the Prussian Academy of Sciences and connections to modern Physics through figures such as the Curies and Wigner.

Figure 2a. Close-up of the scientific clique within the Nobel laureate network.

Conversely, the humanities side showcases prominent personalities, revealing that fame may not always correlate with scientific achievement. Key organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations stand out, alongside notable figures like Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela. The outer ring features social icons like Ernest Hemingway and Richard Feynman, who, despite their busy lives, remain somewhat disconnected from the primary network.

The Hungarian connection is also intriguing. While many Hungarian laureates are not linked to any others, those who are often appear as isolated nodes. This raises questions about the legacy of the Martians and whether their influence is overstated. Notably, while the Manhattan Project involved several Nobel laureates, only Wigner was among the Martians.

Figure 2b. Close-up of the humanities clique within the Nobel laureate network.

Conclusion

While the exploration of the Nobel Network is inspiring, it also reveals significant gaps. The central component features an elite cluster of well-known figures, leaving a majority of laureates—two-thirds—out of this visible network. This suggests that many laureates prefer to remain focused on their work rather than engage in broader collaborations or friendships.

Moreover, the network's polarization into distinct scientific and humanities components contradicts the contemporary emphasis on interdisciplinary research, which is crucial for addressing today's complex challenges. Additionally, the low representation of female laureates is concerning, with only about six percent of Nobel winners being women, predominantly in the Peace Prize category.

However, these mapping exercises shine a light on these critical issues, uncovering hidden patterns that can inform future initiatives aimed at promoting inclusivity and collaboration among laureates.

This video titled "The Collective Genius | SpeakuP Monday #69 | Gil Petersil Mastermind Legend and Business Strategist" dives into the dynamics of collaboration and genius within networks, aligning with our exploration of Nobel laureates.

The video "The ABC of Earthwonders: The Life of the Tim Robinson Map Archive" with Nessa Cronin discusses the importance of mapping and connections, providing a contextual backdrop for our analysis of the Nobel Prize network.