Nobel Physics Prize goes to Francis Halzen for neutrino work

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday awarded the Nobel Prize in physics to Francis Halzen. He received the award for this "decisive contributions to the IceCube neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin," the academy said. The committee described the neutrinos as "ghostly messages from space." It is the second Nobel announced this week, after the medicine prize was awarded to three scientists whose on optogenetics has helped unravel how the brain works. The prize money this year is 12 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million; €1 million), whether for an individual, a small group of laureates or an organization.