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?
Last Updated: 29.06.2025 00:05
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
Vera Rubin quarter coin released by US Mint - BBC Sky at Night Magazine
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
Whatever.
Whatever.
Dr. Roach: Understanding how PSA tests and DREs help to identify cancer - The Detroit News
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
[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."
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.
What it is like to have sex with a relative woman?
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
You can have your cake and eat it too
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
—— indirects on kuorans, irl and idols
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
There you go.^†
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
(Mumbles of assent)
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
What do you CPAP users do to keep your mouth closed during sleep using a nasal pillow?
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:
"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.^*
Why would my husband cheat on me with an ugly fat woman?
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
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.
My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.
"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?"
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
Why did lobsters evolve bright colors if they are neither poisonous nor venomous?