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?

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

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.

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

Dealership Worker Is Oh-So-Close To Closing Car Sale. Then a Receptionist Ruins It In 1 Minute - Motor1.com

Why wait any longer for the one you love?

Why wait any longer for the world to begin?

[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.

Rich people actually spend a whole lot, but the market is the market and there is only one price for the same item and it is much easier for the rich to buy it or lease it or rent it because its expensive to be poor. So why do people have such ideas?

There you go.^†

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

When he's standing, in front of you

The 1975's Matty Healy Says 'We Don't Need More Politics' at Glastonbury - Variety

Whatever.

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

You can have your cake and eat it too

Can machines truly think? Can artificial intelligence surpass human intelligence, or is there an essential difference between human and machine cognition?

Whatever.

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

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

Do Brits realize that Andrew Tate is the one who will liberate their country from tyranny by becoming prime minister?

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:

^† They rationalise their decision thusly:

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

Manny Machado, pitching power Padres to series win over Brewers - San Diego Union-Tribune

(Mumbles of assent)

(Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016)

"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?"

Can someone fall in love with a person they have never met in person, but only through thoughts and imagination?

[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."

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

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

Rory McIlroy explains frequently skipping media availability: ‘I feel I have earned the right to do whatever I want’ - Awful Announcing

My 11 million SEK, Dr Jo.

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

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

Harvard scientists issue 'toxic' warning over 'hidden dangers' of protein powders - LADbible