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?
12.06.2025 12:52
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
(Mumbles of assent)
Whatever.
How do I maintain and care for granite countertops in a coastal climate like Pompano Beach?
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
"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?"
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
Are there any nude pictures of women with big tits?
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
What to know about nerve pain and tingling hands and feet - The Washington Post
You can have your cake and eat it too
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.
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
Watch an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier make a close pass of Earth on June 5 - Space
There you go.^†
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:
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you've witnessed?
"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
Stunning Space Film Premieres June 9 at Natural History’s Planetarium - West Side Rag
Whatever.
My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
Can anyone show a photo with a penis in their anus?
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
[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."
Popular Processed Foods Linked to Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease - SciTechDaily
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
When he's standing, in front of you
[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.