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: 26.06.2025 00:49
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
Relativistic jet detected in active galaxy Markarian 110 - Phys.org
(Mumbles of assent)
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
Kate Middleton Shares a Rare Family Photo After Trooping the Colour - instyle.com
"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."
There you go.^†
Whatever.
The ‘golden summer of cheap flights’: Now’s the time for last-minute deals - CNN
"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?"
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
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[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.
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:
Science news this week: 'Dragon Man's' identity and the universe's 'missing matter' - Live Science
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
What's it like to have an IQ of 140 to 170? Do people notice you're different?
"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"
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.
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
New body size database for marine animals is a “library of life” - Ars Technica
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
When he's standing, in front of you
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Do wild animals often enter the house in Australia?
[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."
Whatever.
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).