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Graphene pioneers win Nobel prize

The 2010 Nobel Prize Committee awarded Dutch natoinal Andre Geim and British-Russian Konstantin Novoselov with the Physics Nobel prize for their pioneering work on developing graphene, a carbon material expected to replace silicone.

Reuters/ University of Manchester
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Scientists Geim and Novoselov expressed shock at winning the Nobel prize, and Geim

Leading Catholics are up in arms over Monday's Nobel medicine award to in-vitro fertilisation pioneer Robert Edwards.

The International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations says it is “dismayed" by the announcement  and Vatican medical ethics chief, Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, accuses  Edwards of creating a market in embryos and failing to protect human life.
 

said it was recognition for just one part of his career, which has jumped from one research project to another.

The pair attained world fame for inventing graphene, an ultra-thin, ultra-strong form of carbon, but have a history of eccentric research. In 1997 Geim proved that non-magnetic substances could levitate in a magnetic field by making a frog seemingly float in the air.

The Swedish Nobel Committee recognised the pair’s inventiveness.

“Playfulness is one of their hallmarks, one always learns from something in the process and, who knows, you may even hit the jackpot,” it said.

Geim and Novoselov were both born in Russia and began their physics careers there before moving to the Netherlands.

They developed their breakthrough material grapheme, which has many potential uses - from transistors to batteries and bendable gadgets - at the University of Manchester in the UK.

"This is fantastic news. We are delighted that Andre and Konstantin’s work on grapheme has been recognised at the very highest level by the 2010 Nobel Prize Committee,” said Nancy Rothwell, vice-chancellor of University of Manchester.

 

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