5 Nobel Prize-worthy discoveries that didn’t win the prize

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The best minds in science will be brought out of academic obscurity into the spotlight next week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine are announced.

The awards, established more than a century ago by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, celebrate groundbreaking work that can take decades to complete.

It is notoriously difficult to predict who will win science's highest honors. The shortlist and nominators remain secret, and documents revealing the details of the selection process remain ...