*Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 *

**Remarks During a Meeting With the 2016 Nobel Prize Recipients **

*November 30, 2016 *

Well, as we near the end of the year, as many of you know, I've spent a lot of time promoting science and trying to encourage young people to get involved in those disciplines that have driven American innovation and American progress, as well as driven human progress. And one of the best ways for us to be able to do that is to recognize the achievements of some Americans who have received an extraordinary honor: These are our American Nobel Prize winners for this year.

They have done amazing work that for laypersons are sometimes hard to explain. But they are delving into the deepest aspects of matter. They are exploring our ability to manipulate molecules. We also have an economist who is helping to make sure that our market system and our contracts operate in ways that are fair and just, and help us to organize our economic system in ways that are more efficient, but also produce good results for everybody.

So we are incredibly proud of them. And I think it's just a reminder that one of the things that makes America unique is our ability to attract talent from all around the world to study at some of our greatest universities, and for us to, in very practical, reasoned, fact-based, empirical ways, figure out how we can make the world a slightly better place. And the work that's being done here is going to result in progress, some of which we can't anticipate yet, but will lead to new products, new materials, new technologies. And, most importantly, the work that these gentlemen have done are going to inspire a whole a new generation of scholars and scientists and researchers so that we know that this will continue into future generations.

And I'm very, very proud of them. And I'm hopeful that they have a wonderful time at the ceremony. I want to thank the Nobel Committee and the Ambassador of Sweden and all that they do to help to recognize outstanding human achievement, not just in our country, but around the world.

All right? Thank you, everybody.

And I will see you guys at the Christmas Party, all right? So get ready. [*Laughter*] Start jogging now. All right. Thank you, guys.

NOTE: The President spoke at 4:46 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to 2016 American Nobel Prize winners J. Fraser Stoddart for chemistry, F. Duncan M. Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz for physics, and Oliver Hart for economic sciences; and Sweden's Ambassador to the U.S. Björn Olof Lyrvall.

*Categories:* Addresses and Remarks : 2016 Nobel Prize recipients*.*

*Locations: *Washington, DC.

*Names:* Haldane, F. Duncan M.; Hart, Oliver; Kosterlitz, J. Michael; Lyrvall, Björn Olof; Stoddart, J. Fraser*.*

*Subjects:* Decorations, medals, and awards : Nobel Prize; Science and technology : Global competitiveness; Sweden, Ambassador to U.S.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201600804.