Lewis Thomas Prize Explained

The Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, named for its first recipient, Lewis Thomas, is an annual literary prize awarded by The Rockefeller University^[1] to scientists or physicians deemed to have accomplished a significant literary achievement; it recognizes "scientists as poets." Originally called the Lewis Thomas Prize for the Scientist as Poet, the award was first given in 1993. Recipients' writings bridge the gap between the laboratory and the wider world, in the spirit of Lewis Thomas' collection of essays The Lives of a Cell.^[2]

The prize-giving ceremony is usually in the form of a lecture; winners receive a medal, a citation, and a cash award.

Subsequent recipients of the prize, awarded first for the year 1993 to Thomas, have been:

• François Jacob (for 1994)^[3]
• Abraham Pais (for 1995)^{[4] [5]}
• Freeman Dyson (for 1996)^{[6] [7]}
• Max Perutz (for 1997)^[8]
• Ernst Mayr (for 1998)^[9]
• Steven Weinberg (for 1999)^[10]
• E. O. Wilson (for 2000)^[11]
• Oliver Sacks (for 2001)^{[12] [13]}
• Jared Diamond (for 2002)^[14]
• Richard Fortey (for 2003)
• Jean-Pierre Changeux (for 2004)^[15]
• Thomas Eisner (for 2005)^{[16] [17]}
• Richard Dawkins (for 2006)^[18]
• James D. Watson (for 2007)^[19]
• Robert Sapolsky (for 2008)^[20]
• Martin Rees (for 2009)^[21]
• Kay Redfield Jamison (2012)^[22]
• Frances Ashcroft (2013)
• Atul Gawande (2014)^[23]
• Ian Stewart and Steven Strogatz (2015)^{[24] [25]}
• Sean B Carroll (2016)^{[26] [27]}
• Sylvia Earle (2017)^{[28] [29]}
• Kip Thorne (2018)^{[30] [31]}
• Siddhartha Mukherjee (2019)^[32]
• Richard Prum (2021)
• Jennifer L. Eberhardt (2022)
• Suzanne Simard (2023)^[33]
• Carlo Rovelli (2024)^[34]

Videos of Lewis Thomas Prize lectures

• [2012-2022: https://www.rockefeller.edu/lewis-thomas-prize/recipients/].

Notes and References

1. https://www.rockefeller.edu/lewis-thomas-prize/about/ About the Lewis Thomas Prize
2. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/294368.The_Lives_of_a_Cell The Lives of a Cell / Goodreads
3. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/4737-french-nobelist-author-to-receive-1994-lewis-thomas-prize-from-rockefeller-university/ French Nobelist, Author, to Receive 1994 Lewis Thomas Prize from Rockefeller University
4. Web site: Biografia de Abraham Pais Su vida y Quién fue. 2018-06-08.
5. https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1013&context=news_and_notes_1995 Rockefeller physicist and award-winning writer Abraham Pais to receive 1995 Lewis Thomas Prize
6. News: The Danger of Cosmic Genius. Brower. Kenneth. 2010-10-27. The Atlantic. 2018-06-08. en-US.
7. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/4500-lewis-thomas-prize-honors-freeman-dyson/ Lewis Thomas Prize Honors Freeman Dyson
8. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/4446-lewis-thomas-prize-honors-max-perutz/ Lewis Thomas Prize Honors Max Perutz
9. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/4417-lewis-thomas-prize-honors-ernst-mayr/ Lewis Thomas Prize Honors Ernst Mayr
10. News: SCIENTIST AT WORK: Steven Weinberg; Physicist Ponders God, Truth and 'Final Theory'. Glanz. James. 2000. The New York Times. 2018-06-08. en-US. 0362-4331.
11. Book: Garber, Marjorie. Academic Instincts. Princeton University Press. 2001. 0-691-04970-X. Princeton, New Jersey, USA. 32.
12. News: Oliver Sacks, Who Depicted Brain-Disorder Sufferers' Humanity, Dies. Wallis. Claudia. Scientific American. 2018-06-08. en.
13. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/4067-oliver-sacks-awakenings-author-receives-rockefeller-universitys-lewis-thomas-prize/ Oliver Sacks, Awakenings Author, Receives Rockefeller University's Lewis Thomas Prize
14. News: COLUMN: Book report. columnist. Roger M. Knutson Courier. Petoskey News-Review. 2018-06-08. en.
15. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/3476-renowned-french-neuroscientist-jean-pierre-changeux-receives-rockefeller-universitys-science-writing-prize/ Renowned French neuroscientist Jean-Pierre Changeux receives Rockefeller University's science writing prize
16. Web site: Eisner wins 2005 Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science Cornell Chronicle. news.cornell.edu. en. 2018-06-08.
17. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/3372-thomas-eisner-to-receive-2005-lewis-thomas-prize-for-writing-about-science/ Thomas Eisner to receive 2005 Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science
18. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/2693-richard-dawkins-accepts-2006-lewis-thomas-prize/ Richard Dawkins accepts 2006 Lewis Thomas Prize
19. Web site: Watson resigns from Cold Spring Harbor lab. UPI. en. 2019-03-28.
20. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/1728-rockefeller-university-names-robert-sopolsky-2008-lewis-thomas-prize-winner/ Rockefeller University names Robert Sapolsky 2008 Lewis Thomas Prize winner
21. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/18025-martin-rees-is-2009-lewis-thomas-prize-winner/ Martin Rees is 2009 Lewis Thomas Prize winner
22. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/6794-lewis-thomas-prize-to-be-awarded-to-kay-redfield-jamison/ Lewis Thomas Prize to be awarded to Kay Redfield Jamison
23. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/18229-surgeon-and-writer-atul-gawande-awarded-lewis-thomas-prize-3/ Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande awarded Lewis Thomas Prize
24. News: The Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science. SIAM News. 2018-06-08. en-US.
25. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/9356-lewis-thomas-prize-to-honor-mathematicians-steven-strogatz-and-ian-stewart/ Lewis Thomas Prize to honor mathematicians Steven Strogatz and Ian Stewart
26. News: Sean B. Carroll Wins Lewis Thomas Prize. HHMI.org. 2018-06-08. en.
27. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/10686-lewis-thomas-prize-to-be-awarded-to-sean-b-carroll/ Lewis Thomas Prize to be awarded to Sean B. Carroll
28. Web site: Dr. Sylvia Earle Receives 2017 Lewis Thomas Prize for Science Writing from Rockefeller University. 2017-03-06. Ocean Elders. en-US. 2019-03-28.
29. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/18673-oceanographer-and-explorer-sylvia-earle-will-receive-the-2017-lewis-thomas-prize/ Oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle will receive the 2017 Lewis Thomas Prize
30. News: Kip S. Thorne wins the 2018 Lewis Thomas Prize. 23 April 2018. LIGO Laboratory News. 2018-06-08.
31. https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/22210-astrophysicist-kip-thorne-receive-2018-lewis-thomas-prize-writing-science/ Astrophysicist Kip Thorne to receive Rockefeller's 2018 science writing prize
32. Web site: Physician-writer Siddhartha Mukherjee will be awarded the 2019 Lewis Thomas Prize. News. en. 2019-03-28.
33. Web site: Pioneering forestry researcher Suzanne Simard to receive the 2023 Lewis Thomas Prize .
34. Web site: Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli receives 2024 Lewis Thomas Prize .