When Nobel Prize winners spoke to the International Space Station from Stockholm
In a unique bridge between science and space, 2023 Nobel laureates Ferenc Krausz and Moungi Bawendi held a live conversation with ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen. The event, hosted at the Nobel Prize Museum, featured historic Nobel medals floating in orbit, highlighting the profound connection between fundamental research and space exploration.
On 11 December 2023, the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm hosted a live in-flight call connecting Earth to the International Space Station (ISS). The conversation featured 2023 Nobel laureates in physics and chemistry, Ferenc Krausz and Moungi Bawendi, who spoke with ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen. This event, held during Nobel Week, aimed to emphasize the importance of fundamental science and the ongoing expansion of human knowledge regarding the universe.
The mission served as more than a conversation; it was a symbolic journey for history. Andreas Mogensen brought the original 1922 Nobel Prize medal of Danish physicist Niels Bohr to the ISS. Simultaneously, ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, preparing for his Axiom 3 mission, represented the connection to Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf by bringing her Nobel Prize medal—the first awarded to a woman in literature in 1909—into orbit. These artifacts were loaned by the Frederiksborg Museum of National History and Mårbacka, respectively.
Beyond the historical significance, the call addressed practical scientific inquiry. Moungi Bawendi discussed the performance of quantum dots in the harsh environment of space. This research is a precursor to future developments, including the planned 2025 launch of a quantum clock to the ISS, which is expected to become the most accurate clock ever operated in orbit. The event underscored how space serves as a laboratory for experiments ranging from materials science and human physiology to the study of massive thunderstorms and stem cells.
The collaboration highlighted the Nobel Prize Museum's mission to engage the public with the contributions of laureates. By linking the achievements of past figures like Bohr and Lagerlöf with current space missions, the event illustrated how scientific curiosity and humanism continue to address the greatest challenges of our time. The session, moderated by curator Carin Klaesson, provided a platform to discuss how ideas, whether in quantum physics or literature, can fundamentally change the world.
