Nobel Prize in Physics

The American Institute of Physics is producing coverage of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics, reporting on the laureates and the awarded research. Details of the winners and their discoveries are the focus of attention as the announcement draws interest from the global physics community and science followers worldwide.

The Scientist has asked researchers to forecast who might win the 2026 Nobel Prizes, with a focus on likely candidates in science categories such as medicine, physics and chemistry. The piece highlights breakthroughs and researchers currently considered strong contenders, inviting speculation ahead of the prize announcements expected in October 2026.

Anniversaries are being marked for Enrico Fermi, the Italian-American physicist born 125 years ago, best known for creating the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1, and for his work on radioactivity and quantum theory. Fermi won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics and helped develop the first atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project. The Fermi paradox, questioning why humanity has not detected alien life, also bears his name.