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Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

nobelprize.org

11–20 of 88 posts

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#11
post #2

Apparently most commentators were expecting it. I wonder if there was a possibility that also the CERN team could be awarded the prize?

I was just listening to the news, and apparently over 3000 people were more or less involved with the work at CERN. I don't think the physics prize has ever been awarded to an institution like the peace prize has been in the past, and I think the Academy simply chose not to break tradition.

They could have awarded it to the CMS and ATLAS experiments as well. No need to award it to CERN.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#12
post #2

Apparently most commentators were expecting it. I wonder if there was a possibility that also the CERN team could be awarded the prize?

The award is for the theory that is confirmed. The people of CERN didn't get awarded because they didn't come up with the theory, they just tested it.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#13
post #2

Apparently most commentators were expecting it. I wonder if there was a possibility that also the CERN team could be awarded the prize?

The award is for the theory that is confirmed. The people of CERN didn't get awarded because they didn't come up with the theory, they just tested it.

They often award the physics prize for experimentally verifying a theoretical prediction. For example, they awarded the prize to Paul Dirac for predicting the existence of the positron, and to Carl Anderson for confirming it.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#14
post #2

Apparently most commentators were expecting it. I wonder if there was a possibility that also the CERN team could be awarded the prize?

The award is for the theory that is confirmed. The people of CERN didn't get awarded because they didn't come up with the theory, they just tested it.

While I agree with your comment, I'd leave out the 'just' part.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#15

Anyone with more insight know if this was overdue, but finally awarded after confirmation last year at CERN, or if it was pushed forward while last year's work was fresh in people's minds?

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Really? What do you call Obama peace prize then.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#16

Anyone with more insight know if this was overdue, but finally awarded after confirmation last year at CERN, or if it was pushed forward while last year's work was fresh in people's minds?

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Obama got the peace prize without any evidence.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Really? What do you call Obama peace prize then.

[deleted]

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Really? What do you call Obama peace prize then.

The peace prize isn't awarded by the Nobel Committee, but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is an entirely separate organization.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Obama got the peace prize without any evidence.

Nobel Peace Prize != Nobel Physics Prize, in a similar way how Samsung != Samsung Heavy Industries.

Re: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Englert and Higgs

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Nobel committee doesn't give out the prize for theoretical advances that aren't backed up by experiment. Since the data was not yet overwhelmingly conclusive at this time last year, this year's award was basically the earliest possible award date for a decades-old idea.

Obama got the peace prize without any evidence.

Peace prize is given by a different committee.
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