BERLIN (AP) — For some Nobel Prize winners this year, the news came with a knock at the door before dawn . For others, it was a long-awaited phone call honoring a discovery made decades ago.

One of the medicine prize winners , meanwhile, was on vacation in Yellowstone National Park without cellular service. It would be hours before he found out.

The Nobel Prizes are considered among the world’s most prestigious honors for achievements in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, economics and peace. The winners join the pantheon of Nobel laureates, from Albert Einstein to Mother Teresa.

Sometimes, the award is anticipated. Potential winners plan tentative news conferences or, in the western U.S., wait up all night for the news.

While some prizes might feature household names

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