https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662518764845 Public Understanding of Science 2018, Vol. 27(4) 405–416 © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0963662518764845 journals.sagepub.com/home/pus P U S The image of the Nobel Prize Gustav Källstrand Nobel Center, Sweden Abstract This article traces the origins of the Nobel Prize as a ubiquitous symbol of excellence in science. The public image of the Nobel Prize was created and became established quickly, which can be explained by it being such a useful phenomenon for the co-production of other values and ideas such as national prestige. Through being an easily recognizable symbol for excellence, the Nobel Prize is an important factor for the public image of science. And the image of the Nobel Prize is co-produced with several other sets of values and images that range from the large and thematic to the local and specific. Keywords history of science, media and science, public understanding of science, representations of science, science and popular culture, science journalism The Encyclopedia Britannica refers to the Nobel Prize as being “widely regarded as the most pres- tigious award given for intellectual achievement in the world” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017). There are several ways to explain the special status of the Nobel Prize, such as the large amount of prize money and its history. But what makes the prize special? On the one hand, the thorough selec- tion process generates high credibility in the scientific world. But adding to this is the fact that it is also famous outside of academia. Few other scientific prizes have appeared on The Simpsons or have films starring Paul Newman or Russel Crowe made about them. The Nobel Prize has become a ubiquitous symbol for scientific excellence in popular culture. This is relevant for the public image of science in a broader sense, since medialization can have a legitimizing effect on science (Peters et al., 2008). This begs the question why the prize is more famous than other international prizes of equal monetary value. At least part of the answer is provided by Urde and Greyser’s (2015: 319) analysis of the Nobel Prize as a brand—which point to its long history as the key com- ponent in upholding the status of the prize. This makes history as a decisive factor in the prize’s current status. But what about the time when the prize was new? In this article, I will argue that the early status of the Nobel Prize depended to a large extent on its usefulness. Both in academia and in the larger culture, there was from the outset “a Corresponding author: Gustav Källstrand, Nobel Center, Sturegatan 14, P.O. Box 5232, Stockholm 10245, Sweden. Email: gustav.kallstrand@nobelcenter.se 764845PUS 0 0 10.1177/0963662518764845Public Understanding of ScienceKällstrand research-article 2018 Theoretical/research paper