A recent post about another fake cancer cure had me doing more research and as usual, proponents of the fraud had web sites touting that the quack doctor had "six or seven Nobel prize nominations". The official website of the Nobel Prize points out that all information about the nominations, investigations, and opinions concerning the award is kept secret for 50 years so it's easy for quacks to lie without fear of being outed in their lifetimes. But often times these bogus healers were actually nominated. Does it mean much? Turns out no.
The official web site explains they send out forms to over 3,000 people whose qualifications are solely that they are
[quote]Holders of established posts as professors at the faculties of medicine in Sweden and holders of similar posts at the faculties of medicine or similar institutions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway;
Holders of similar posts at no fewer than six other faculties of medicine selected by the Assembly, with a view to ensuring the appropriate distribution of the task among various countries and their seats of learning; [/quote] So if you have a friend who is a professor of medicine who has zero knowledge about cancer, you can get yourself nominated.
That's for medicine, your Congressman is empowered to nominate you for Nobel Peace prize.
Finally there are zero limits on how many nominees there can be, it's not like other prizes with limited nominees.
Winning a nobel prize is quite something else.
Charm