Nobel Prize in Medicine laureate Professor Karl Deisseroth nearly missed the call informing him of his victory from the committee. Associated Press writes, as reported by UNN.
Details
As the publication writes, Dr. Karl Deisseroth calls himself a "night owl" and often works until midnight. According to him, after reviewing scientific papers and corresponding with students, he had just gone to bed when he received a call from the Nobel Assembly in Stockholm.
"I almost felt as if I had lost the ability to formulate words, but after a minute or two I came to my senses," Deisseroth said.
While science correspondents spoke with Deisseroth by phone and via Zoom, the publication's photographer and videographer rushed to his home in Stanford. The photographer arrived at around 3:30 a.m. and saw Halloween decorations in front of the house, but only one light was on inside. He feared that he had the wrong house before summoning the courage to knock on the door.
Dr. Michelle Monje-Deisseroth, the scientist's wife, opened the door and invited the photographer into the house, where the Nobel laureate was taking calls while sitting on the sofa.
Deisseroth admitted to the AP that he was surprised to learn that his work had been recognized with a Nobel Prize, but his wife was not surprised.
Recall
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel "for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics".