Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

The Nobel prize is 100 years old. The first prize was a Nobel Peace prize awarded to "Jean Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Frederic Passy, the founder of a French peace society that laid a foundation for the United Nations."

The Nobel prize institution was made possible by a Swedish chemist named Alfred Nobel. Nobel made a lot of money by inventing dynamite. He left instructions in his will to "recognize people whose work conferred 'the greatest benefit on mankind.'" Nobel specified that a Swedish panel decide who takes the honors for Science and Litertature and a Norweigian panel decide for Peace.

Today Nobel winners get about a million in prize money (along with the fame and prestige.)

The Nobel award winners are sometimes controversial (and their actions are as well, Einstein had the Nobel money in his divorce settlement before he even won it) but the entire concept and institution is totally impressive. Mr. Nobel did the world a great service when he setup his estate to provide prizes for things that truly do matter. Recognizing these people is important, these are some of the best and brightest human beings, period.

For more info see the links.
  Nobel Centennial: CNN