Report names Francis Halzen as 2026 Nobel physics laureate

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Francis Halzen, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate. The award recognizes his discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica. IceCube comprises over 5,000 detectors buried in the ice and linked neutrinos to cosmic sources such as the galactic core of Messier 77. Halzen's team used machine learning techniques to improve neutrino detection accuracy. The 2025 physics prize went to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for quantum tunneling work that enabled ultra-sensitive measurements used in MRI machines and laid groundwork for better cellphones and faster computers. Nobel announcements for 2026 began Monday with the medicine prize to three scientists for a light-based brain-research tool. Chemistry is set for Wednesday, literature for Thursday and peace for Friday. Contested: no disputes found in the record.