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 02:09
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love?
Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:
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."
(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)
How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke and poor air quality - The Washington Post
"Good idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"
"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 world to begin?
First glimpse of a charred scroll after two millennia thanks to AI and X-rays - Earth.com
(Mumbles of assent)
Whatever.
There you go.^†
Can we state Alia Bhatt as the most versatile actress in Bollywood now?
[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."
"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"
[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.
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:
Brain’s Reward Center Tracks Not Just What, But When Rewards Arrive - Neuroscience News
[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"
^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).
… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*
If freedom of speech is absolute, how come it's not applied for private spaces and for the Internet?
They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.
When he's standing, in front of you
"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"
New Webb Data Confirms ‘Crazy Idea’ About Cooling Effects of Pluto’s Haze - The Daily Galaxy
A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
^† They rationalise their decision thusly:
"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"
What is your opinion about homosexuality? Do you think that it is by nature or a choice?