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This prize isn’t too highly regarded. The physics prize has mostly consisted of string theorists giving it to their friends in the field.
by Google234 6y ago
This prize isn’t too highly regarded. The physics prize has mostly consisted of string theorists giving it to their friends in the field.
- doublesCs 6y agoWhat an ignorant thing to say.
- dash2 6y agoCare to expand on why and give a correction?
- protomolecule 6y agohttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24441638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24441638
- mellosouls 6y agohttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24441242 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24441242
- mellosouls 6y agoExamples of criticism of the physics prize: https://physicsworld.com/a/breakthrough-prize-criticized-for-rewarding-failed-ideas/ https://physicsworld.com/a/breakthrough-prize-criticized-for... http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=11138 http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=11138 http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2019/08/special-breakthrough-prize-awarded-for.html http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2019/08/special-breakthroug...
- protomolecule 6y agoThey are all related to a single award -- 2019 (special) for supergravity.
- Google234 6y agoThey’ve been giving awards to failed ideas since the start.
- mellosouls 6y agoThey are just examples - and intended as counter to the "ignorant" accusation which implies there was no truth to the idea of criticism.
- gdy 6y agoFair enough.
- doublesCs 6y ago> What an ignorant thing to say > (...) > http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=11138 http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=11138 > http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2019/08/special-breakthrough-prize-awarded-for.html http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2019/08/special-breakthroug... Thanks for that, because my comment applies exceedingly well to people like Peter Woit and Sabine Hossenfelder; I've never heard of Michael Banks.
- scott31 6y agoSo it is like Nobel Prize
- namenotrequired 6y agoAsking out of ignorance. When the article says that > The Breakthrough Prizes are the largest prizes in science Do they mean the prize comes with more money?
- protomolecule 6y agoYes
- protomolecule 6y ago"This prize isn’t too highly regarded." [By whom?] "The physics prize has mostly consisted of string theorists giving it to their friends in the field." Firsty, the Breakthrough Prize is given in Life Sciences, Mathematics and Fundamental Physics. This post is about the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. As for Fundamental Physics, apart from 2019 (special) for supergravity, it doesn't seem to go to string theorists: 2021 Special Breakthrough Prize In Fundamental Physics -- Steven Weinberg, “continuous leadership in fundamental physics, with broad impact across particle physics, gravity and cosmology, and for communicating science to a wider audience.” [0] 2021 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics -- Eric Adelberger, Jens H. Gundlach and Blayne Heckel, University of Washington. Citation: For precision fundamental measurements that test our understanding of gravity, probe the nature of dark energy, and establish limits on couplings to dark matter. [1] 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to all 347 members of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration representing 60 institutions in 20 countries. [2] 2019 Breakthrough Prize In Fundamental Physics -- Charles Kane and Eugene Mele – University of Pennsylvania. Citation: For new ideas about topology and symmetry in physics, leading to the prediction of a new class of materials that conduct electricity only on their surface. [3] 2019 Special Breakthrough Prize In Fundamental Physics -- Jocelyn Bell Burnell – University of Dundee and University of Oxford. Citation: For fundamental contributions to the discovery of pulsars, and a lifetime of inspiring leadership in the scientific community. [3] 2018 Breakthrough Prize In Fundamental Physics -- WMAP experimental team. Citation: for detailed maps of the early universe that greatly improved our knowledge of the evolution of the cosmos and the fluctuations that seeded the formation of galaxies. [4] There are some string theorists further in the past, but they still don't warrant the use of the word 'mostly'. [5] [0] https://breakthroughprize.org/News/61 https://breakthroughprize.org/News/61 [1] https://breakthroughprize.org/News/60 https://breakthroughprize.org/News/60 [2] https://breakthroughprize.org/News/54 https://breakthroughprize.org/News/54 [3] https://breakthroughprize.org/News/47 https://breakthroughprize.org/News/47 [4] https://breakthroughprize.org/News/41 https://breakthroughprize.org/News/41 [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Prize_in_Fundamental_Physics#Laureates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Prize_in_Fundamen...
- Google234 6y agoWhom was me and others in the physics department I was associated with. You can find more discussions on the prize on the not even wrong blog https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=8958 https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=8958
- chrisseaton 6y ago> This prize isn’t too highly regarded. Wow this is an astronomically absurd Hacker News put-down.
- mellosouls 6y agoSee other comments for context. It was harsh, and perhaps a little out of date, but there has been criticism of the physics prize in the past. A little moderation on both sides on this point wouldn't go amiss.
- mindcrime 6y ago> This prize isn’t too highly regarded. > there has been criticism of the physics prize in the past Those... aren't the same thing. I'm sure you could dredge up a few criticisms of the Nobel Prize in Physics as well, but would anybody say that the prize isn't highly regarded in general? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Physics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies#Phys...
- mellosouls 6y agoPlease don't quote me selectively if it distorts the point. It was harsh, and perhaps a little out of date
- mindcrime 6y agoI don't see any distortion of the point. All I'm saying is that the fact that something has been criticized in the past does not (necessarily) equate to justification for a position of "it's not highly regarded".
- cultus 6y agoI mean, it's not that impressive. I have like 3 of them.