Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Why are so few Nobel Prizes awarded to women?

The 2019 Science Nobel award winners are out. Where are the women?

The Highlight by Vox logo

Humor, political cartoons, and graphic journalism from The Highlight, Vox’s home for features and longform journalism.


The Nobel organization has not responded publicly to this study, and did not reply to requests for comment.

Sources

Lunnemann, P., Jensen, M.H. & Jauffred, L. Gender bias in Nobel prizes. Palgrave Commun 5, 46 (2019).

Guterman, Lila. “Statistically speaking, 2019 Nobel Prize lineup of 11 men and one woman was bound to happen.” Science Magazine, October 2019.

Nobel Prize lists


Matthew R. Francis is a physicist and science writer. He has written over 300 articles and comics about science for more than 30 publications, including The Nib, Popular Science, Slate, The Daily Beast, and Ars Technica.

Maki Naro is an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and science communicator. He is the author of seven self-published comic books spanning topics from historical comedies to the importance of vaccination.

More in Science

Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Climate
How climate science is sneakily getting funded under TrumpHow climate science is sneakily getting funded under Trump
Climate

Scientists are keeping their climate work alive by any other name.

By Kate Yoder, Ayurella Horn-Muller and 1 more
Good Medicine
You can’t really “train” your brain. Here’s what you can do instead.You can’t really “train” your brain. Here’s what you can do instead.
Good Medicine

The best ways to protect your cognitive health might surprise you.

By Dylan Scott
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel
Health
Why the new GLP-1 pill is such a big dealWhy the new GLP-1 pill is such a big deal
Health

The FDA just approved Foundayo. Here’s what it can and can’t do.

By Dylan Scott