Prizes and Awards: How Science Decides What Counts, 1731 to 2012

The oldest surviving scientific award in the world. It grew out of a bequest of one hundred pounds left to the Royal Society in 1709 by Sir Godfrey Copley, and was first given in 1731 to Stephen Gray.

Created under the will Alfred Nobel signed in 1895, with the first prizes awarded in 1901. Different bodies judge different categories, for example the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for physics and chemistry and the Karolinska Institute for physiology or medicine.

Presented since 1917, first to Edwin Howard Armstrong, as the IRE Medal of Honor. It took its present name when the Institute of Radio Engineers merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in 1963 to form the IEEE.

Given to two, three or four mathematicians under 40 at the International Congress of Mathematicians. First awarded in 1936 to Lars Ahlfors and Jesse Douglas, it has been awarded every four years since 1950.

Created in 1945 by Albert Lasker and Mary Woodard Lasker for contributions to medical science. Its page records that eighty six Lasker laureates have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

Given by the Association for Computing Machinery for lasting technical importance to computer science, and first awarded in 1966 to Alan Perlis. Since 2014 it has carried a prize of one million US dollars.

Granted in Israel since 1978 by the Wolf Foundation, founded by Ricardo Wolf. Its physics and chemistry prizes are often considered the most prestigious in those fields after the Nobel Prize.

Established in 1984 and awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation. Its three categories are Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy.

Proposed in 1899 by Sophus Lie, the plan collapsed with the 1905 dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden. The Government of Norway established it in 2001 and the first prize was awarded in 2003.

Founded in 2012 by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Laureates receive three million dollars each and are chosen by committees of previous laureates.