The earlier a chemist wins the Nobel prize the longer they are likely to live
Study suggests chemistry laureates live longer but receive a smaller longevity benefit compared with physics and medicine laureates
Winners of the chemistry Nobel prize may be missing out on their fair share of an unusual benefit of the premier scientific award – a longer life. Nobel laureates in physics and medicine appear to live significantly longer than their chemistry counterparts.
A new study1 suggests Nobel winners in the sciences – physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine – live progressively longer than they might have, depending on how early they receive the prize. It shows scientists who win the Nobel prize live about one year longer than the population at large for every 10 years earlier than average they were awarded it.