Monday, October 6, 2008

Nobel Bets

Every year I try to guess who will get the Physics Nobel prize (No I am not a candidate). My bet this year is for the discovery of neutrino mass by super-K in japan in 1998. It has been ten years and since that time the discovery has been verified by other groups and by other methods. Here is a nice description of the experiment. I'm not sure, however, who the award should be presented to -- it is a huge collaboration. Doug Natelson at nanoscale views is betting on Aharonov and Berry -- which is one I've suggested several times before also.

Within a few days we'll find out.

UPDATE: The prize went to Nambu, Kobayashi, and Maskawa. Not a combination I would have guessed (obviously a combination lobbied for by Japan). This might kill the chances for Higgs and Goldstone.

A rather interesting prize was given in chemistry for green flourescent protein, clearly very important for biochemistry (although some have argued the prize should have been in biology not chemistry). Here's an amazing story about a guy who was really crucial in this development who should get many more kudos for his contributions. And if anyone is in alabama they should buy him a drink or two.