AlphaFold, microRNA, Neural Networks, Computational Biology, Disarmament, Economic Institutions, Governance & Growth, Machine Learning Models, Hiroshima Survivors, Peace Movements
Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, Gene Therapy, Computational Drug Design, Institutional Reform, Nuclear Disarmament Diplomacy, Inclusive Growth Models, Literature as Resistance, Biotechnology and Health Equity, Peace Advocacy through Survivor Testimonies, Digital Governance & Innovation
May 15, 2025
8
mins read
The Nobel Prizes 2024 were announced between October 7 and October 14, 2024, honoring individuals and organizations whose work has profoundly impacted humanity in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Instituted by Alfred Nobel's will in 1895, these prizes remain among the most prestigious recognitions in the world.
The award ceremonies will be held on December 10, 2024, commemorating the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel. The Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway, while the others are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. These awards often appear in UPSC prelims and current affairs analysis, given their impact on science, global peace, and international governance.
Laureates: John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton
Major Findings:
Recognized for their seminal contributions to the development of artificial neural networks, foundational for modern machine learning and AI applications.
Hopfield introduced Hopfield Networks, mimicking associative memory and pattern recognition in the brain.
Hinton pioneered the backpropagation algorithm, critical for training deep learning models.
Key Concepts:
Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs): Brain-inspired models for classification, decision-making, and predictions.
Backpropagation: Training mechanism that adjusts weights in multilayer neural networks based on error gradients.
Deep Learning: A form of AI using multiple neural layers for tasks like speech recognition, image classification, and language translation.
Significance:
Enabled transformative advances in AI, particularly in areas such as healthcare diagnostics, self-driving cars, and language technologies.
Integral to India's AI for All and Digital Public Infrastructure goals.
Risks/Concerns:
Risk of algorithmic bias, misuse in surveillance, and ethical concerns around AI transparency.
Debates over AI replacing jobs and influencing democratic institutions.
Relevance for UPSC:
Relevant under GS-III Science & Technology, especially with India's initiatives in AI for All, Digital India, and ethical concerns around AI regulation.
Potential applications in healthcare, agriculture, governance, and language technologies (e.g., Bhashini Mission).
This topic is highly likely to feature in UPSC IAS prelims and news discussions focused on emerging technologies.
Table of content
Laureates: David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper
Major Findings:
David Baker advanced the field of computational protein design, enabling the creation of custom proteins that can neutralize viruses or accelerate industrial chemical processes.
Demis Hassabis and John Jumper developed AlphaFold, an AI system capable of predicting 3D protein structures from amino acid sequences with near-laboratory precision, revolutionizing molecular biology.
Key Concepts:
Protein Folding: The process by which a protein assumes its functional shape. Misfolded proteins are linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
AlphaFold: AI model by DeepMind that accurately predicts protein structures using deep learning.
Computational Biology: Uses algorithms and simulations to solve biological problems, including protein folding and drug discovery.
Significance:
Reduces time and cost involved in protein structure prediction, advancing vaccine development, enzyme design, and biological research.
Supports precision medicine and biotech innovation globally, including India's Biotech Mission.
Risks/Concerns:
Risk of dependency on proprietary algorithms and unequal access to AI innovations.
Misuse of AI-designed proteins for unintended or unethical purposes in bioengineering.
Relevance for UPSC:
Important under GS-III Science & Technology, especially for biotechnology, AI applications, and India’s vaccine diplomacy. Computational biology, protein science, and biotech innovation are increasingly asked in pyqs.
Laureates: Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
Major Findings:
Discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs)—small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by silencing specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs).
Showed that miRNAs play a key role in developmental biology, cancer biology, and metabolic disorders.
Key Concepts:
microRNAs (miRNAs): Regulatory molecules that silence gene expression post-transcriptionally.
Gene Silencing: Biological process that stops gene expression, critical for normal development and disease control.
RNA Interference (RNAi): Technique related to miRNAs, used in research and medicine to target specific genes.
Significance:
Advanced our understanding of gene regulation and opened pathways for gene therapy and personalized medicine.
Directly applicable to research on cancer, genetic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Risks/Concerns:
Ethical issues in manipulating gene expression for therapy.
Concerns about privacy, data misuse, and long-term effects of biotech interventions.
Relevance for UPSC:
Connects to GS-III Science and Technology, GS-II Health, and government missions on biotechnology, genomics, and digital health records.
High significance for Science & Tech (Biotech) and Health.
Ties to research in genetic diseases, cancer biology, and India's focus on genomic surveillance and healthcare digitization.
Laureate: Han Kang (South Korea)
Major Findings:
Awarded for her emotionally charged and artistically expressive works that delve into trauma, memory, and vulnerability, often centered around Korean political and historical conflict.
Her novels, such as The Vegetarian and Human Acts, explore existential suffering, identity, and resistance to violence and oppression.
Key Concepts:
Trauma Literature: A genre that reflects on collective or personal trauma through narrative.
Post-Authoritarian Narrative: Literature examining the lingering effects of dictatorship or repression on societies.
Literary Minimalism: Han’s sparse, poetic prose style that conveys deep psychological truths.
Significance:
Reinforces the power of literature as a tool for healing, advocacy, and social critique.
Raises global awareness about authoritarianism, gender violence, and the emotional toll of political unrest.
Risks/Concerns:
Issues in translating nuanced themes from Korean to global audiences.
Potential for censorship or cultural misinterpretation in politically sensitive environments.
Relevance for UPSC:
Helpful for Essay Paper, especially on topics related to social justice, trauma, peace, and literature as protest.
Also relevant in GS-I (Indian Heritage & Culture) and GS-IV (Ethics) when addressing human dignity and resistance through non-violent means.
Laureate: Nihon Hidankyo (Japan)
Major Findings:
Awarded for their long-standing advocacy to abolish nuclear weapons, led by the testimonies of Hibakusha—survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Engaged in educational campaigns, lobbying governments, and global participation to promote a world free of nuclear arms.
Key Concepts:
Hibakusha: Atomic bomb survivors whose lived experiences anchor Japan’s pacifist stance.
Disarmament Treaties: Includes Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Nuclear Disarmament Advocacy: A transnational peace movement focused on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear warfare.
Significance:
Reinforces the global norm against nuclear weapon use and production.
Strengthens grassroots-led global peace and disarmament initiatives.
Risks/Concerns:
Rising geopolitical tensions and modernization of nuclear arsenals by several states.
Challenges in securing universal participation in treaties like TPNW.
Relevance for UPSC:
Connects with GS-II International Relations, peace diplomacy, and India's No First Use nuclear policy.
Also relevant for GS-IV Ethics in the context of war and human dignity.
Laureates: Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson
Major Findings:
Recognized for their research on how economic and political institutions determine a nation’s long-term prosperity.
Emphasized the distinction between inclusive (democracy-supporting) and extractive (elite-driven) institutions in shaping development.
Key Concepts:
Inclusive Institutions: Enable equitable participation in markets and governance.
Extractive Institutions: Concentrate power/resources, stifling innovation and growth.
Why Nations Fail (Book): Framework linking bad governance to poverty and underdevelopment.
Significance:
Highlights importance of institutional reforms in reducing poverty and driving economic growth.
Relevant to India’s efforts in decentralization, cooperative federalism, and inclusive policymaking.
Risks/Concerns:
Difficulty in replicating institutional frameworks across diverse socio-political landscapes.
Risks of institutional capture and resistance to reform.
Relevance for UPSC:
Fits in GS-II (Governance) and GS-III (Indian Economy).
💡 Quick Note for Aspirants: Want to stay ahead on Nobel Prize 2024 topics for your UPSC IAS exam? From breakthroughs in neural networks and mRNA vaccines to peace diplomacy and institutional reforms, the PadhAI App brings you everything—daily news & current affairs, Nobel-specific PYQs, AI TutorChat. Perfect for tackling UPSC prelims and mains with a solid grip on science, economics, and international issues shaping the world.
The 2024 Nobel Prizes highlight the global progress in fields that shape our understanding of life, society, and technology. From AI to gene therapy and peace advocacy, these topics intersect deeply with the UPSC examination's interdisciplinary nature. Keep tracking such developments—they are critical for both prelims and mains, and often form the basis for thoughtful IAS essays and case studies in pyqs and current affairs discussions.
Stay informed, stay relevant.
