(1)Japanese chemist Shirakawa receives Nobel Prize

(1)Japanese chemist Shirakawa receives Nobel Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa smiles as he holds a certificate and a medal for the Nobel Prize for Chemistry after the award-giving ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10. Shirakawa, 64, won the prize, along with two Americans, Alan Heeger, 64, and Alan MacDiarmid, 73, for the discovery and development of conductive polymers.

(2)Japanese chemist Shirakawa awarded Nobel Prize

(2)Japanese chemist Shirakawa awarded Nobel Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa (L), joint winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Chemistry, shakes hands with Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf (R) in Stockholm on Dec. 10. King Gustaf presented the award to Shirakawa, 64, along with two Americans, Alan Heeger, 64, and Alan MacDiarmid, 73, for their discovery and development of conductive polymers.

Nobel laureate Shirakawa meets press before award ceremony

Nobel laureate Shirakawa meets press before award ceremony

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese Nobel Prize laureate Hideki Shirakawa meets the press at a hotel in Stockholm on Dec. 9 before the Dec. 10 award ceremony. Shirakawa, a professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba, won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with two American professors -- Alan MacDiarmid from the University of Pennsylvania and Alan Heeger from the University of California. The trio won the prize for their discovery and subsequent development of conductive polymers.

Nobel chemistry laureates Shirakawa, Heeger shake hands

Nobel chemistry laureates Shirakawa, Heeger shake hands

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japan's Hideki Shirakawa (R) shakes hands with physicist Alan Heeger of the United States when they attended a reception Dec. 8 hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Sweden before an award ceremony Dec. 10. Shirakawa, Heeger and chemist Alan MacDiarmid of the U.S. jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Nobel laureate Shirakawa delivers lecture in Sweden

Nobel laureate Shirakawa delivers lecture in Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa makes a commemorative speech in Stockholm on Dec. 8. Shirakawa, 64, a professor emeritus at Tsukuba University, has been named recipient of the Nobel prize together with Alan Heeger, 64, and Alan MacDiarmid, 73, for their work on conductive polymers -- plastics able to conduct electricity.

Nobel laureates meet the media

Nobel laureates meet the media

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - (From L to R) Nobel chemistry laureates Hideki Shirakawa, Alan MacDiarmid and Alan Heeger meet the press at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Dec. 7.

Nobel laureate Shirakawa heads for Stockholm to receive prize

Nobel laureate Shirakawa heads for Stockholm to receive prize

NARITA, Japan - Hideki Shirakawa, one of this year's three winners of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, leaves Narita airport Dec. 4 for Stockholm. Shirakawa, a 64-year-old professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba, will be awarded the prize at a ceremony on Dec. 10. together with physicist Alan Heeger and chemist Alan MacDiarmid, both of the United States, for their discovery and development of conductive polymers.

Nobel prize winner Shirakawa congratulated

Nobel prize winner Shirakawa congratulated

TSUKUBA, Japan - Hideki Shirakawa, professor emeritus with the University of Tsukuba who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is congratulated Oct. 13 by students and staff of the university, located northeast of Tokyo. Shirakawa won the prize together with Americans Alan Heeger and Alan MacDiarmid for demonstrating that plastics can conduct electricity.

(2)Japanese chemist Shirakawa awarded Nobel Prize

(2)Japanese chemist Shirakawa awarded Nobel Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa (L), joint winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Chemistry, shakes hands with Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf (R) in Stockholm on Dec. 10. King Gustaf presented the award to Shirakawa, 64, along with two Americans, Alan Heeger, 64, and Alan MacDiarmid, 73, for their discovery and development of conductive polymers.

(1)Japanese chemist Shirakawa receives Nobel Prize

(1)Japanese chemist Shirakawa receives Nobel Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa smiles as he holds a certificate and a medal for the Nobel Prize for Chemistry after the award-giving ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10. Shirakawa, 64, won the prize, along with two Americans, Alan Heeger, 64, and Alan MacDiarmid, 73, for the discovery and development of conductive polymers.

Nobel chemistry laureates Shirakawa, Heeger shake hands

Nobel chemistry laureates Shirakawa, Heeger shake hands

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Japan's Hideki Shirakawa (R) shakes hands with physicist Alan Heeger of the United States when they attended a reception Dec. 8 hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Sweden before an award ceremony Dec. 10. Shirakawa, Heeger and chemist Alan MacDiarmid of the U.S. jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Nobel prize winner Shirakawa congratulated

Nobel prize winner Shirakawa congratulated

TSUKUBA, Japan - Hideki Shirakawa, professor emeritus with the University of Tsukuba who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is congratulated Oct. 13 by students and staff of the university, located northeast of Tokyo. Shirakawa won the prize together with Americans Alan Heeger and Alan MacDiarmid for demonstrating that plastics can conduct electricity.