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?

There you go.^†

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?"

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 163 — The Trials of Starship - Space

Whatever.

Why wait any longer for the world to begin?

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

‘Titan: The OceanGate Disaster’ Review: The Horrors of Hubris on Netflix - WSJ

[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.

(Mumbles of assent)

Does the pro-choice movement realise that all the money used to subside abortions can be used to subsidize daycare and other financial support for single mothers with unplanned pregnancies?

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

Whatever.

My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.

‘When a door closes, another opens’ — Bayern Munich make peace with Florian Wirtz miss - Bavarian Football Works

(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)

You can have your cake and eat it too

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

Sometime ago, the Iranian Minister said that a US Navy aircraft carrier would be an easy target for 300 speed boats armed with Katyusha rocket launchers. Is this true?

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

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

^† They rationalise their decision thusly:

What does it feel like to "lose your looks" to age?

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

"Didn't he do something with Boltzmann in it? That sounds physics-y. RBMs and stuff, eh?"

Why wait any longer for the one you love?

‘Ironheart’ EP Ryan Coogler, Star Dominique Thorne Tease Show’s Connection To Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “Great Sample Of Things To Come” - Deadline

When he's standing, in front of you

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:

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

Does beneficial infrared heat pass at all through EMF shields of IR sauna blankets (zero EMF emission)?

[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."

"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?"

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

I am a copy and paste developer, how do I become a real software developer?