From First Principles · Special coverage
Nobel Prize 2026
The discoveries. The people. The science, from the ground up.
A week of discoveries.
A world to understand.
From controlling neurons with light to catching cosmic particles and understanding mirror molecules. Join Krishna Choudhary and Lester Nare for three deep dives into the science behind this year’s prizes.
Beyond the episode
A question. A conversation. A correction.
A chemistry question that reached Stockholm.
While preparing our Chemistry episode, Krishna noticed something in a Nobel Prize explanatory illustration: a pair of molecules labeled as mirror images appeared to show the same handedness. He walked through the drawing on the show and asked chemists to weigh in.
They did. Viewers examined the illustration, identified another issue, and joined the discussion. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences responded, confirmed the error in Figure 6, and published a corrected version.
This was a correction to an explanatory illustration, not to the prize-winning research. It became a small, wonderful example of science in public: ask carefully, invite scrutiny, and welcome a better answer.
Watch the original discussion at 1:10:3701 / The question
Is that really a mirror image?
691,886 views · 35,429 likes
Instagram snapshot, October 9, 2026.
02 / The response
Getting it right, together.
Our follow-up, posted October 8, shares the corrections and the conversation that made them possible.
Next stop: a conversation about Stockholm.
The Academy welcomed us to Stockholm in 2027 and passed our details to its press team. We’re looking forward to following up when accreditation opens in September 2027.
The point of checking the science is to get it right together.
Medicine
October 5, 2026
Switching brain cells on with light.
How did proteins from algae become a way to control neurons? Follow the history, experiments, and engineering behind optogenetics, and what it reveals about the brain.
Full episode, transcript & researchNobel Prize in Medicine 2026 Explained: Optogenetics
Physics
October 6, 2026
A telescope buried beneath Antarctica.
Neutrinos travel through the universe almost unnoticed. Learn how IceCube uses a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice to detect these ghost particles and trace their cosmic origins.
Full episode, transcript & researchNobel Prize in Physics 2026 Explained: IceCube & Neutrinos
Chemistry
October 7, 2026
Why life has a molecular handedness.
Two molecules can contain the same atoms and still behave differently. Explore chirality, the history of molecular handedness, and the chemistry that helps one mirror image take over.
Full episode, transcript & researchNobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 Explained: Mirror Molecules
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From First Principles is a video podcast about frontier science. We build the ideas from the ground up, so you can follow the discoveries wherever they lead.
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