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 06:09
My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
Why do you allow your cat to lie in bed with you?
When he's standing, in front of you
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
Whatever.
Has anyone ever had sex with their cousin? How did it start, and would you do it again?
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
[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.
Whatever.
Blood test detects multiple cancer types through cell-free DNA - Medical Xpress
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
"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?"
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Is the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting a preview of what the US is going to do to Taiwan?
[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?"
There you go.^†
How is TikTok able to censor porn?
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
(Mumbles of assent)
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
How likely is it to make a living out of being a window cleaner in a Nordic country?
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
You can have your cake and eat it too
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
Can I study a master’s in travel and tourism in Sweden within a budget of 5 lakhs INR?
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
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:
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
What do you think about Matt Gatz as an attorney general?
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
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.
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"