Francis Crick, the guy who co-discovered the molecular structure of DNA back in 1953, died nine years ago. Along with James Watson, he won a Nobel Prize for the groundbreaking scientific discovery — but his family now wants to get rid of it. According to Heritage Auctions, bidding for the gold medal and diploma will…

Holy crap this is cool. Over on Brain Pickings, Maria Popova has an exclusive English version of a visualization (originally designed for La Lettura, a Sunday cultural supplement to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that features a weekly column dedicated to data visualization) that compares Nobel Prizes and…

In 1926, Johannes Fibiger received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. That much is clear. Ever since then, people have been debating whether or not he should have gotten it, with powerful arguments on both sides. We'll take a quick look at the world's most disputed Nobel Prize.

On Monday, Cambridge biologist Sir John Gurdon was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his revolutionary work in the field of stem cell research. Featured here is an excerpt from his high school report card in the subject of biology, circa 1949. (The original report is pictured below.) Gurdon claims…

In 1962, Cambridge biologist John Gurdon proved the impossible possible by demonstrating that a fully developed cell, taken from the intestine an adult frog, contained all the genetic information necessary to give rise to an entirely new frog.

Marie Curie was a wife, a mother, a scientist, and a self-sacrificing, public-spirited patriot. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and the only person in history to be awarded Nobel Prizes in two scientific fields. It really goes without saying that the woman was a badass of the highest order, but…

Winning the Nobel Prize brings with it a diploma, cash award, and a 200 gram medal made of gold. Each medal is specially cast for the winner, emblazoned with his or her name.

JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series is one of the most enduring works of literature, a linguistic masterwork that helped spawned the high fantasy genre. But, Tolkien's attention to language and worldbuilding didn't win him fans with the 1961 Nobel jury, which passed him over for the big prize.

The 2011 Nobel Prizes have been announced, honoring preeminent achievements in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, the promotion of peace, and economics. Here's what you need to know about the three science-related Nobel Prizes.

Last week, scientist Ralph Steinman became the first person in history be be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine posthumously; just three days prior to the award announcement, Steinman passed away following an extended bout with pancreatic cancer.