Nobel Science Lecture Draws 2,000 in Tokyo

Japanese scientist Kenso Soai spoke in Tokyo on Tuesday about the chemical reaction behind his 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Chemical Society of Japan hosted the lecture, which drew about 2,000 people, including online participants. Soai, a 76-year-old professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of Science, discussed the asymmetric autocatalytic reaction known as the Soai reaction.

The Reaction and Its Researcher

The Soai reaction amplifies a small difference between two mirror-image molecular forms until one form predominates. The article likens the forms to left and right hands. In Tokyo, Soai described the process and research connected to his 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Soai published his first findings that led to the reaction in 1990. The lecture brought that work before about 2,000 people, some of whom joined online. The Chemical Society of Japan hosted the gathering, and Soai is professor emeritus at the Tokyo University of Science.

Questions About Molecular Imbalance

During a question-and-answer session, Soai said, “I hope to study a wide range of possible causes for the left-right imbalances.” He described an ongoing interest in what causes differences between the two molecular forms.

At a news conference after the lecture, Soai said, “I was interested in basic or rather fundamental matters,” explaining what inspired his research. His remarks tied his account of the work to fundamental questions. The article identifies no specific causes for the molecular imbalances discussed at the event.

The lecture centered on the reaction named after Soai and the research that led to its discovery. The event details name the host, give the approximate attendance, and report the topic and Soai’s comments. They don't provide information about the research’s funding, commercial returns or effects on workers.

A Stockholm Lecture Planned

Soai said he hoped to attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm in December, in “high spirits.” He also plans to discuss his research results in a lecture in the Swedish capital during the upcoming visit.

Soai said the Stockholm lecture would highlight contributions by Louis Pasteur, the 19th-century French chemist and microbiologist who also studied molecular asymmetry. Pasteur’s work links the planned talk to a longer history, while the Tokyo lecture focused on the reaction Soai developed through his research.

The Jiji caption identified Soai as the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner and reported that he gave the Tokyo lecture on Tuesday. The award year is 2026, and the ceremony is scheduled for December 2026. Soai’s planned Stockholm lecture will cover his research results and Pasteur’s contributions to the study of molecular asymmetry.