Nobel Physics Prize goes to Francis Halzen for neutrino work

On Tuesday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that Francis Halzen would receive the Nobel Prize in Physics. The award recognized his "decisive contributions to the IceCube neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin." The committee likened neutrinos to "ghostly messages from space."

This marks the second Nobel Prize of the week, following the medicine award given to scientists for their work in optogenetics, which has aided understanding of brain function. The prize amount this year is 12 million Swedish kronor, roughly $1.2 million or €1 million. The physics prize has historically been awarded 119 times to 230 laureates between 1901 and 2025.

Last year, the prize went to three scientists for their research on quantum tunneling's strange behavior, which enabled the precise measurements made possible by MRI machines and paved the way for improved cellphones and faster computers. This story is still unfolding, with additional details expected.