The Nobel Prize in Physics: Four Historical Case Studies

Students will investigate four historical case studies of physicists who some historians and physicists have argued should have won a Nobel Prize: Arnold Sommerfeld, Lise Meitner, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Satyendra Nath Bose. With each Case Study, students examine the historical context surrounding the prize that year (if applicable) as well as potential biases inherent in the structure of the Nobel Prize committee and its selection process. Students will summarize arguments for why these four physicists should have been awarded a Nobel Prize, as well as potential explanations for why they were not awarded the honor.