The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009

http://nobelprize.org/cgi-bin/print?from=%2Fnobel_prizes%2Fphysics%2Flaureates%2F2009%2Fpress.html

by edw519 • 17 years ago

39 15 17 years ago

Patient02• 17 years ago

This seems like more of a technology award than a Physics award. How long has it been since a pure theoretical physics Nobel has been awarded? Doesn't that say something?

tlammens• 17 years ago

1 year ago? http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2008/

tlb• 17 years ago

A valid version of the question is when was the last prizeworthy discovery was made. Giant magnetoresistance (2007 prize) was discovered in 1988. Bose-Einstein condensates (2001 prize) were figured out in 1995. I can't find any more recent discoveries.

They seem to be trying to clear the backlog. This year's prize is shared by two basically unrelated ideas, which must be a strategy to catch up.

frig• 17 years ago

That you didn't look @ even last year's laureates before mouthing off with a preformed opinion?

Patient02• 17 years ago

Ouch! 100% correct. I'll think more before I post next time.

vinutheraj• 17 years ago

Why did it take them so many years to recognize this ? Or is it normal from their parts ?!

huangm• 17 years ago

Theoretical breakthroughs in physics often have an immediate impact on the theory community, or are solving already 'big' problems (QED, QCD, etc). These tend to be recognized very quickly.

Engineering breakthroughs tend to take a bit longer to be recognized because determining whether they are significant takes much longer. There is a necessary grace period to see whether the breakthrough actually has impact.

anigbrowl• 17 years ago

Agreed, though you'd have to have been living under a rock not to be aware of the huge impact of fiberoptics even a decade ago. Mr Kuo made his discovery in 1996 and retired in 1996. I wish they would try to be a bit more timely with these things; sometimes it feels like 'oops, that guy is really old now - we'd better give him the prize before he passes away'. Oh well - I'm glad to see these advances recognized, since I use both CCDs and fiberoptics on a regular basis.

arfrank• 17 years ago

If you would like to read a fantastic book about the history of Fiber Optics, what Charles Kao worked on, I would suggest this book: http://www.amazon.com/City-Light-Story-Optics-Technology/dp/...

I found it fascinating and shows the development from first concept through research phases to practical/commercial use.

timothychung• 17 years ago

Yey! Charles is from Hong Kong! :-)

nebula2• 17 years ago

<quote> and the other half jointly to

Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ, USA </quote>

For a moment there I didn't see that this one was for work on CCD; And was surprised thinking Bell labs is still producing Nobel quality stuff;

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009

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