October 09, 2023

A Quantum Leap


A Quantum Leap
Samples of coal-derived graphene quantum dots that glow when exposed to light. Wikimedia Commons, U.S. Department of Energy.

The laureates of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry were revealed in Stockholm on October 4. The list includes American scientists Moungi Bawendi and Louis Brus, as well as Alexey Ekimov, who is Russian-American.

They received the award for their groundbreaking work in developing a technique for producing quantum dots.

Quantum dots are minuscule nanoparticles with quantum phenomena behavior. Their most renowned application is in the field of electronics, where quantum dots can substitute for the conventional light-up material (phosphor) used in electronic displays.

Swedish media outlets broke the news on the morning of October 4 that the Royal Academy of Sciences had inadvertently leaked the names of potential Nobel laureates in chemistry via email several hours ahead of the official announcement. The list in question featured the names of Bawendi, Brus, and Ekimov.  However, the Royal Academy of Sciences swiftly clarified that the final decision regarding the award recipients had not been concluded, emphasizing the need to await the forthcoming official announcement.

The previous Russian Nobel laureate was Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, who was awarded the Peace Prize in 2021. In the scientific disciplines, Russia celebrated a Nobel Prize win in 2010 when Konstantin Novoselov, in collaboration with Andre Geim, secured the Nobel in physics for their research on graphene.

You Might Also Like

Nobel Flip Flop
  • September 04, 2023

Nobel Flip Flop

The Nobel Foundation canceled Russia’s invitation to the annual awards ceremony in Stockholm.
A Nobel Donation
  • June 28, 2022

A Nobel Donation

The 2021 Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner auctioned his medal off to help displaced Ukrainian children.
Good and Evil Revealed
  • March 28, 2022

Good and Evil Revealed

"This whole situation has clearly revealed good and evil." A powerful interview with Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, whose Novaya Gazeta newspaper suspended publication today.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955