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Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

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Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#51

Post by programjames »

aquafox wrote: post #27

"This year’s laureates used tools from physics to construct methods that helped lay the foundation for today’s powerful machine learning." Does this mean if I'd use a deep understanding of birds to design way more aerodynamic airplanes, I could get the Nobel prize in physiology/medicine? Don't get me wrong, their work is probably prize worthy, but shouldn't the Nobel prize in physics be awarded for discoveries in the…

> Don't get me wrong, their work is probably prize worthy

I would strongly disagree with you there. It's the exact same idea as the least squares approximation or conjugate gradient method: create an energy function from a quadratic and minimize it.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#52

Post by mglz »

aquafox wrote: post #6

"This year’s laureates used tools from physics to construct methods that helped lay the foundation for today’s powerful machine learning." Does this mean if I'd use a deep understanding of birds to design way more aerodynamic airplanes, I could get the Nobel prize in physiology/medicine? Don't get me wrong, their work is probably prize worthy, but shouldn't the Nobel prize in physics be awarded for discoveries in the…

Hm, they have to fit them into Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, or Peace. I guess physics is the closest they can get without a gross missplacement? (Although you might be able to absue literature for LLMs?)

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#53

Post by ulkram »

vichle wrote: post #44
Urahandystar wrote: post #25

[flagged]

Could you elaborate, which wars did he start? (honest question)

"He launched airstrikes or military raids in at least seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan."

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-na-pol-obama-at-war/

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#55

Post by drpossum »

noobermin wrote: post #41

May be I should know better, but is there no Nobel category for computer science or mathematics? This isn't physics, this is absolutely embarrassing. May be all those bitter elder physicists who didn't get a prize can feel a little justified in their derision of the institution.

There no Nobel category for computer science or mathematics.

Related reading

https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/24/why-isnt-there-a-...

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#56

Post by eigenket »

Ma8ee wrote: post #47
mppm wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really has not, though. There is more to physics than high-energy and cosmology, and there is no shortage of deserving contributions of smaller scope. It really is bizarre that deep learning would make it to the top of the list.

Could you give me some examples of areas of fundamental physics that are vital and have done some significant discoveries lately? I genuinely would like to know, because I really can't think of any.

"Vital" is completely subjective but I'd throw stuff around quantum information into the ring. Maybe you'd consider the loop-hole free Bell tests performed in 2015 and awarded the 2022 Nobel prize to count?

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#57

Post by crossroadsguy »

vichle wrote: post #44
Urahandystar wrote: post #25

[flagged]

Could you elaborate, which wars did he start? (honest question)

Tangential to your question but not the premise of this subthread/post - he became president in Feb 2009 and got the award in October.

I don't think he started any new wars, but he inherited some and continued. Anyway, the point here should be the absurdity of a lot of Nobel awards and that stands - especially in his case.

I mean Trump was nominated for the award for fuck's sake! More than 2 or 3 times iirc. So anyway.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#58

Post by vasco »

hellectronic wrote: post #36
bogtog wrote: post #26

I wonder if this'll help physics PhDs get industry jobs (I hear Myron Scholes is up for the 2025 prize)

You mean like the ones working on Wall Street?

If you google who Myron Scholes is you'll see the person you replied to made the same assertion already.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton [pdf]

#60

Post by vichle »

ulkram wrote: post #53
vichle wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate, which wars did he start? (honest question)

"He launched airstrikes or military raids in at least seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan." https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-na-pol-obama-at-war/

Technically not the same thing but ironic/hypocritical nonetheless.
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