The Old Country Newsletter – Nobel Prize & Mopeds

My personal favorite book series of all time is The Emigrants, by the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg. Through the four books in the series, we get to follow the triumphs and tribulations of early Swedish immigrants in America. In the first book, "The Emigrants," we meet Karl Oskar, Kristina Nilsson, their three children, and eleven others who set out from Småland in 1850, seeking a better life away from poverty, religious persecution, and social injustice.

By clicking here, you can learn more about the books and order a copy for yourself. Beyond getting your hands on an incredible book, it is also a great way to show support for this newsletter, as a few cents of each sale will help support our work.

Nobel Prize 2024 Winners Shine in AI and Genetic Research

The 2024 Nobel Prizes have honored innovators in artificial intelligence and genetic research, continuing Alfred Nobel’s legacy of celebrating contributions that benefit humanity.

This year’s laureates are reshaping the future. John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, both of American descent, won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work in neural networks and machine learning, advancing modern AI systems. In Physiology or Medicine, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, also Americans, were honored for their discovery of microRNA, molecules that regulate gene expression, a crucial step in understanding genetic disorders.

The Nobel Prize was established by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who sought to leave a lasting legacy by rewarding those whose discoveries "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Since its inception in 1895, it has celebrated achievements that push humanity forward, and this year’s winners are no exception, with their work promising profound impacts on technology and healthcare​.

Would you like to feel closer to Sweden? A perfect way to do that would be to have a look at Swedish broadcasts, either current or past. SVT Play is an online streaming service provided by Sveriges Television (SVT), the Swedish national public television broadcaster.

To watch it, one has to be in Sweden – or have access to a VPN provider that can connect to a remote server located in Sweden. Like NordVPN, which sponsors this segment of the newsletter.

By using NordVPN, you can access what SVT Play has to offer – including current news, documentaries about emigrants, live broadcasts from nature events, and much more – by simply connecting to a server in Sweden. Follow the link here to get 74 % off for your first two years and three months (!) of usage. By doing so, you also help support the distribution of this newsletter.

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson is facing scrutiny after it was revealed that a guest at his wedding had ties to a criminal motorcycle gang.

Despite some party members knowing the man’s background, Åkesson says he wasn’t informed, calling it a "failure" in communication. “With hindsight, of course it’s a failure, but I can understand why the information wasn’t shared,” he said during an interview with P1 Morgon. Åkesson emphasized that his acquaintance with the man was minimal, recalling only one conversation. “We talked about trucks or maybe buses,” he added.

While Mattias Karlsson, the party’s group leader, knew of the man’s past, he clarified that he wasn’t involved in the guest list. Both Karlsson and fellow MP Richard Jomshof, who were aware of the man’s background, did not pass on the information. Åkesson also addressed concerns about security risks to the party, saying that it was handled by others. The incident has sparked debate on internal communications within the party and the potential security implications for the Sweden Democrats.