Early Citations Mark 1987 Nobel

PHILADELPHIA—Nobel prizes in science normally recognize research of extraordinary excellence, as judged by literature citations to it and awards that have accumulated over a period of years. This year, however, the Nobel committee awarded the physics prize for recent research that illuminated the physical science community with the brilliance of a supernova. New physics laureates J. Georg Bednorz and K. Alex Milller, of IBM’s Zurich Research Labora tory, published their seminal pap

Written byPeter Gwynne
| 2 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00
Share

PHILADELPHIA—Nobel prizes in science normally recognize research of extraordinary excellence, as judged by literature citations to it and awards that have accumulated over a period of years. This year, however, the Nobel committee awarded the physics prize for recent research that illuminated the physical science community with the brilliance of a supernova. New physics laureates J. Georg Bednorz and K. Alex Milller, of IBM’s Zurich Research Labora tory, published their seminal paper on high-temperature superconducting ceramics in September 1986 in the German journal Zeitschrift für Physik B: Condensed Matter (vol. 64, 1986, p.189). The paper had been cited once by year’s end, and just five times during the first two months of this year, according to data gathered by the Institute for Scientific Information, which publishes THE SCIENTIST.

However, once the physics community recognized the extraordinary promise of high-temperature superconductors, the paper’s citations increased exponentially, from 29 in March and ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
July Digest 2025
July 2025, Issue 1

What Causes an Earworm?

Memory-enhancing neural networks may also drive involuntary musical loops in the brain.

View this Issue
Accelerating Recombinase Reprogramming with Machine Learning

Accelerating Recombinase Reprogramming with Machine Learning

Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Twist Bio 
Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

DNA and pills, conceptual illustration of the relationship between genetics and therapeutic development

Multiplexing PCR Technologies for Biopharmaceutical Research

Thermo Fisher Logo

Products

waters-logo

Waters and BD's Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions Business to Combine, Creating a Life Science and Diagnostics Leader Focused on Regulated, High-Volume Testing

zymo-research-logo

Zymo Research Partners with Harvard University to Bring the BioFestival to Cambridge, Empowering World-class Research

10x-genomics-logo

10x Genomics and A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore Launch TISHUMAP Study to Advance AI-Driven Drug Target Discovery

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Sino Biological Sets New Industry Standard with ProPure Endotoxin-Free Proteins made in the USA