Logo

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: 27.06.2025 12:03

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?

They then move on to selectively provide their own version of history. But hey, it’s OK. They wanted controversy, didn’t they? Whatever.

"Where can we shoehorn it in? Chemistry is easy 'cos AlphaFold; but what about physics? A bit more challenging, right?"

"Good point, I'm sure we can swing it. And let's tack on Hopfield while we're about it."

We've finally slowed the surge in overdose deaths. The Trump admin may undo all of it - Salon.com

"Naah, Linnainmaa is a Finn. Can't give it to a bloody Finnish mathematician. Let's go for drinks. Brännvin anyone?"

^† They rationalise their decision thusly:

A fly on the wall at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Inside ‘Inside the NBA’ Transition to ESPN - Front Office Sports

There you go.^†

Fortunately, we are privy to the discussion that led up to this:

Whatever.

Bitcoin Price (BTC) News: Testing $110K Level Again - CoinDesk

Why wait any longer for the world to begin?

(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)

(Mumbles of assent)

Why do I sometimes hear full conversations when I am alone?

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?"

"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?"

JWST captures its most extreme gravitational lens ever - Big Think

My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.

When he's standing, in front of you

… then anything is possible. There’s no rule that a Nobel Prize has to make sense.^*

What are some recommended foods for reducing eye fatigue?

^* Fibiger got the 1926 Medicine prize for the discovery of Spiroptera carcinoma (Don’t ask).

Why wait any longer for the one you love?

[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."

If you think “the harder you train, the fitter you’ll get”, you are WRONG, according to this expert—here’s what you need to know - Fit&Well

You can have your cake and eat it too

Whatever.

[Older voice] "Mmm. What about Hinton, he's widely regarded? Nobody got fired for buying IBM"

All of the new features coming to Apple’s iOS apps - TechCrunch

[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.

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 idea, but how can we wangle something that says 'Physics'?"

Why do atheists demand that everyone must accept their own self-definition? Is that any different from demanding others must accept their choice among 87 genders or be labeled as a bigot?