In 2011, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen predicted in his essay “Why Software Is Eating the World” that software would significantly dominate various sectors of the economy. Fast forward to 2024, it appears that software's influence has reached academia, evidenced by computer scientists Geoffrey Hinton and Demis Hassabis receiving Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry, respectively. Hinton, who is not formally a physicist, earned recognition for his discovery of backpropagation—a method critical to the advancement of neural networks and machine learning. Despite a rocky academic start and a year as a carpenter, Hinton's contributions have been pivotal, especially in conjunction with advancements like the transformer model developed by Google researchers. Hinton shares the physics Nobel with John Hopfield, whose work on Hopfield networks and Boltzmann machines was grounded in physics principles. Media often label Hinton as "the godfather of AI, " but in person, he is amiable, witty, and humble.

His recognition with the Turing Award in 2018 indicated his standing in the field, despite the absence of a Nobel prize in computer science—a situation that might warrant reconsideration given the sector's growing prominence. At 77, Hinton exemplifies persistence, having believed in neural networks' potential long after they faced skepticism in academia. His confidence may stem from his lineage, being a descendant of mathematician George Boole, whose logic forms the foundation of digital technology. Receiving the Nobel brings its own challenges, as Seamus Heaney described in 1995, comparing it to a "mostly benign avalanche" that transforms winners into public figures inundated with demands. As Hinton steps into the spotlight, he should remain vigilant about managing his newfound visibility and commitments. Additionally, I recommend reading Jill Lepore's insightful New Yorker essay, "Is a Chat With a Bot a Conversation?" and Heather Cox Richardson’s recent Substack issue for further engaging content.