Is this 2 Nobel Prizes given in a single year?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics, specifically questioning whether two distinct discoveries in the same year can be considered as deserving of individual recognition. Participants explore the relationship between these discoveries under the broad concept of "Complex systems," while also examining historical precedents for shared Nobel Prizes in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the two subjects of the recent Nobel Prize are significantly different in both topic and methodology, raising the question of their connection under the term "Complex systems."
  • Another participant expresses confusion about the specific prizes and subjects being discussed.
  • A participant points out that the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics is shared between climate science and the study of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems, noting the interesting nature of this combination.
  • One participant acknowledges the relationship between the two awarded works but questions the specific problems they address.
  • Historical examples are provided, including the 1955 and 1978 Nobel Prizes, to illustrate instances of shared awards in physics, with some participants arguing that the 1978 prize exemplifies two unrelated subjects.
  • Another participant agrees that the 1955 prize relates to similar topics, while the 1978 prize represents a clearer case of distinct subjects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between the recent Nobel Prize subjects and their connection to "Complex systems." While some see a link, others find the subjects too disparate to be grouped meaningfully. Historical examples lead to further debate about the nature of shared prizes in physics, indicating a lack of consensus on the current discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the broad and sometimes vague definition of "Complex systems," which may influence their interpretations of the connections between the awarded works. The discussion also highlights the importance of historical context in evaluating the significance of shared Nobel Prizes.

hacivat
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Sorry for the speculative title but, I kind of think so. Both subjects are great discoveries and maybe they deserve the prize on their own (maybe not that is not my point). My point is how are they connected to each other under the vague umbrella term: "Complex systems". Their subjects are WAY different, their methods are WAY different.

I think this is the first time a physics Nobel prize is shared between totally different domains both in subject and method. Please look at the range of topics mentioned under the title "Complex systems" in Wikipedia:

"Complex systems is therefore often used as a broad term encompassing a research approach to problems in many diverse disciplines, including statistical physics, information theory, nonlinear dynamics, anthropology, computer science, meteorology, sociology, economics, psychology, and biology."
 
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Physics news on Phys.org
:oldconfused:
What is "this"?
What prizes?
What subjects?
 
It also strikes me as a little strange. The physics Nobel appears to be shared between work specifically done in climate science (two of the winners share half the prize for this) and work for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales (one of the winners has the other half).

EDIT: I can see how they are related, but not as to any specific problem solved. All interesting work and nothing wrong with awarding it in this way as far as I'm concerned.
 
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1955/summary/
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1955 was divided equally between
Willis Eugene Lamb "for his discoveries concerning the fine structure of the hydrogen spectrum"
and
Polykarp Kusch "for his precision determination of the magnetic moment of the electron."

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/summary/
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1978 was divided, one half awarded to
Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa "for his basic inventions and discoveries in the area of low-temperature physics",
the other half jointly to
Arno Allan Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson "for their discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation."
 
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OK, 1955 is definitely related topics but 1978 is a good example of two completely different subjects. Thanks for pointing that out. (And even better they were honest in their presentation by not forcing them under a vague umbrella term.)
 
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1954/
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1954

Max Born “for his fundamental research in quantum mechanics, especially for his statistical interpretation of the wavefunction”

Walther Bothe “for the coincidence method and his discoveries made therewith”
 

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