Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Neutrinos

Just to follow up on the last post.   Neutinos it was.   I guess they found the correct two people to give the prize to.

Undoubtedly this discovery was extremely important no matter how you slice it.   Neutrino oscillations.  Solar Neutrino Problem.  Neutrino Mass.  New particle (the other chirality of neutrino).
I approve.    
Sunday, October 4, 2015

Nobel Bets 2015

This is my once-per-year blog post attempting to predict the physics Nobel Prize.   (Except the obvious Higgs a few years ago, I've never gotten it right).  

Reuters has some interesting guesses here. Of those guesses, I think Debbie Jin is the most likely.
In high energy experiment, for years I've been thinking that neutrino mass really needs to get one. Apparently it isn't at all obvious who would be the right person or persons to be named, so that makes it a bit difficult. Possibly this is also  a problem with giving a prize for the experimental discovery of the Higgs  at LHC, which obviously would have a large political force in its favor.
Last year I predicted topological insulators.   Given that last year was awarded in condensed matter(ish), it seems unlikely that this is the year for TIs.
Other possible topics that I have mentioned before:
Lene Hau and Steven Harris (Slow Light)
Zeilinger/Aspect/Clauser (Quantum Tests)
Bennett (is he alive still?), Brassard, Wootters (Quantum teleportation)
Berry/Aharanov (I realize there are problems with precedent here, but still I think it is possible)

OK, back to work!