How did a computer scientist such as Geoffrey Hinton manage to win a Nobel Prize in physics when computer science already has its own Nobel Prize equivalent in the Turing Awards?
11.06.2025 19:36
There you go.^†
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.
[The basic structure of artificial neural networks] has close similarities with spin models in statistical physics applied to magnetism or alloy theory. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes research exploiting this connection to make breakthrough methodological advances in the field of ANN.
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
John Harbaugh on Aaron Rodgers: I don’t have a reaction, just respect - NBC Sports
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
(Mumbles of assent)
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
Measles Case: Visitors To Mahopac Restaurant May Have Been Exposed, Officials Warn - dailyvoice.com
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
If you could go back and rewrite the Legend of Korra, what would you change, and why?
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
Whatever.
You can have your cake and eat it too
Jennie Garth 'Never Felt More Confident' as She Poses In First Underwear Photoshoot at 53 - TooFab
When he's standing, in front of you
In December 1973, when Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, comedian Tom Lehrer dropped his mic and stamped on it—satire had just died.
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
Engineers bring Psyche's thrusters back online - theregister.com
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
In awarding prizes, the Nobel Committees often seem only marginally more competent than MTG is at explaining meteorology. And if they can give a literature prize for lyrics like:
Several Psychiatric Disorders Share The Same Root Cause, Study Finds - ScienceAlert
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
Whatever.
Summer McIntosh Swims 3:54.18 To Shatter 400 Freestyle World Record By 1.2 Seconds - SwimSwam
"Hey guys, AI is pretty big so let's centre our prizes on it this year. We can get some attention, and it's all about advertising, at the end of the day, isn't it?"
[Younger voice] "But wait a minute, Ising-Lenz goes back to the 1920's. And didn't Hinton plagiarise rather a lot? He also didn't invent modern backprop, did he, that's Linnainmaa? And Amari preceded Hopfield, too. That's not a good look."
"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"
How do you perform a lap dance for your boyfriend or husband?