PRINCETON, N.J. -- "I couldn't have won this prize without her help," said Princeton University Senior Meteorologist Syukuro Manabe, a winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Physics, referring to his wife, Nobuko.
In an interview Tuesday at his home in New Jersey after the announcement of the award, Manabe, 90, had this to say about Nobuko, 80, supporting him in his over 60 years as a scientist: "She took good care of our children, so I could concentrate 100% on my research. I have nothing but gratitude."
Manabe's research requires patience as he must experiment over and over, inputting numerical values related to the atmosphere and the ocean into a computer to predict changes in these values.
"I always respect my husband," Nobuko said to a group of reporters. "I wanted him to work hard, studying 24 hours a day for 365 days a year without worrying about his family. Both of our daughters understood. It's teamwork."
Her home cooking also gives him energy, Manabe said.
"Japanese, Chinese, Italian dishes. I enjoy my wife's cooking every day," he said. "I'm the most privileged person."
He added: "I'm very bad at driving. Once I start thinking about something, I often forget to pay attention to the traffic lights. But my wife drives very well."
"If two people are not having a fun life together, it's boring," Nobuko said when asked what was important for marital relations. "You only live once."
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