Noble price in Physics jointly awarded to three scientists 2021

The 2021 Nobel Prize for physics has been shared between scientists working on models to predict global warming and the interplay of planetary systems.

One half of the prize is split between Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann for their work in the ‘physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming.’

The other half of the prize has gone to Giorgio Parisi for the ‘discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales.’

Outcomes of their research:

Syukuro Manabe :

demonstrated how increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to increased temperatures at the surface.

In the 1960s, he led development of physical models of the Earth’s climate.

His work laid the foundation for the development of climate models.

Klaus Hasselmann :

created a model linking weather and climate, answering the question of why climate models can be reliable despite weather being changeable and chaotic.

His methods have been used to prove that the increased temperature in the atmosphere is due to human emissions of carbon dioxide.

Giorgio Parisi :

discovered hidden patterns in disordered complex materials.

In one of his interviews , Parisi has emphasized that ‘it’s very urgent that we take very strong decisions and move at a very strong pace’ in tackling climate change.

‘It’s clear for future generations that we have to act now.