Belgian Scientist Receives Nobel Prize for Space Particle Work
On Tuesday, Belgian scientist Francis Halzen received the Nobel Prize in physics. He studied tiny space particles called neutrinos. He also helped build a special observatory in Antarctica to find them. The prize money is about one point two million dollars. Halzen was very surprised by the news, but he hopes it helps his future science projects.
On Tuesday, Francis Halzen received the Nobel Prize in physics. He studied very small space particles called neutrinos. These tiny particles travel through our bodies every second. Trillions of these particles go through us very quickly. They come from big stars like our sun.
Scientists cannot see these tiny particles with their eyes. The particles hit other things and make small flashes of light. The station in Antarctica measures these quick flashes of light. This big station is the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Halzen helped build this special station in the cold. It uses deep ice at the South Pole to find the particles.
Halzen is eighty-two years old and he comes from Belgium. He works for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in America. The Belgian Prime Minister sent warm congratulations to him. Halzen is the eleventh Belgian to win a Nobel prize.
Ellen Moons announced the news in Stockholm on Tuesday. She is the leader of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. She is the first woman to present this award. The prize money is about one point two million dollars.
Halzen spoke to the committee by phone from Italy. He did not expect the prize at all. He felt very strange but happy about the news. He hopes the prize will help his next project.
Now scientists have a new way to study the cosmos. The particles bring important information from very far away. They help us understand how the universe grew. This research opens a door to distant galaxies.
Other scientists also got awards this week. On Monday, three scientists won the prize in medicine.
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Tip · Record yourself, use in a notebook, or practice with a language partner.
Where is the special station that helps scientists find the particles?
Future simple with 'will' for hopes and predictions
We use 'will' followed by the base form of the verb to talk about what we expect or hope to happen in the future.
“He hopes the prize will help his next project.”
What to know · A2
Try saying this aloud
Scenario: You are talking to a classmate about a surprise test or a prize you received.
- 01“I did not expect the prize at all.”
- 02“I felt very strange but happy.”
- 03“It was a big surprise.”
Register tip · informal
🔑Key Phrases
This is a formal way to say someone was given this very famous scientific award.
My professor received the Nobel Prize in physics last year.
This is the name of the scientific station built in the ice of Antarctica.
Scientists work at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory to study space.
This phrase describes being completely surprised by an award.
She did not expect the prize at all, so she cried with joy.
Article Audio — Kokoro TTS
Belgian Scientist Receives Nobel Prize for Space Particle Work
💬Discussion Questions
Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.
- 1
Why do you think scientists want to study tiny space particles?
Opinion
News sourced from: Phys.org →. LectoPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.
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