Nobel Prize Awarded to AI, Zhihu Explodes: Physics Doesn't Exist?

Nobel Prize Awarded to AI, Zhihu Explodes: Physics Doesn't Exist?The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E

Nobel Prize Awarded to AI, Zhihu Explodes: Physics Doesn't Exist?

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for their groundbreaking discoveries and inventions in using artificial neural networks to achieve machine learning. This news, like a bombshell, sent shockwaves through the scientific community, turning Zhihu into the central stage for this scientific "melon-eating" (a Chinese internet slang for watching and discussing events).

The "surprise" Nobel award given to AI, almost entirely unexpected by the scientific community, sparked lively discussions among netizens. Zhihu was filled with serious scientific explanations and humorous interpretations, with some even exclaiming "Physics doesn't exist anymore." Geoffrey E. Hinton, upon learning of the award, exclaimed "I couldn't have imagined it," while the livestream of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, went silent after the announcement.

Zhihu users began asking: "Machine learning is usually considered within the realm of computer science and statistics. Why was it awarded the Physics Prize?" In fact, "Cold Philosophy," a Zhihu user and science writer who accurately predicted the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for two consecutive years, included CRISPR (gene editing) and AI (artificial intelligence) as long shots in his prediction for this year. He argued that "AI has a huge impact on life sciences, the only question is whether they'll make an exception and who to award it to." However, he predicted the AI award to be in Physiology or Medicine, not Physics.

"Why did the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics go to artificial neural network machine learning, specifically to the AI field?" Professional Zhihu users engaged in heated discussions around this question. "SIY.Z," a Zhihu user and computer software professional, argues that Geoffrey Hinton's developed neural network "Boltzmann machine" has long been underestimated. It is this machine that guided the development of "building machine learning models using statistical physics," "efficient training of deep neural networks," and "generative models" in AI, laying the foundation for today's powerful machine learning.

However, some researchers disagree. "Lagrange L2," a Zhihu user and Ph.D. candidate in astronomy at the Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated: "I won't deny that machine learning is useful, but its importance is exaggerated. You can't just give a physics award because something contributes." Meanwhile, Zhihu user "Zaran Fu Liu Xing" created a nine-square grid meme, drawing on past Nobel Prize in Physics trends, to satirize the "erratic awarding" of the prize in history.

Alongside discussions and meme-making, Zhihu users are also providing various perspectives on the two laureates, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton: Geoffrey E. Hinton is the first recipient of both the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Turing Award. He worked at Google for nearly a decade, and his students and successors are now found throughout the AI academic and industrial world. John J. Hopfield's parents were both physicists. Early in his career, he worked at Bell Labs, a symbol of the pinnacle of science and technology in the 20th century.

Zhihu gathers a large community of research personnel, academic professionals, science writers, etc. Every year, they engage in extensive discussions, predictions, and scientific explanations of various awards. As such, Zhihu has earned the reputation of being the "second site" for the Nobel Prize. This year, after the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to AI, the lively discussions, clashing opinions, and meme-making by numerous Zhihu users turned it into the most captivating platform for following the Nobel Prize.

This "surprise" Nobel Prize in Physics has prompted a re-examination of the relationship between AI and physics, while making Zhihu the center stage for this scientific feast. How will the AI field develop in the future? And how will it collide with physics to spark new flames? Let's wait and see.

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