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[Phys-L] prize



The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2014 goes to:

Isamu Akasaki
Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan and Nagoya University, Japan

Hiroshi Amano
Nagoya University, Japan

and

Shuji Nakamura
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

“for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has
enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”

The 370-word press release is at:
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2014/press.html

===================================================

My observation: Some people imagine that all of physics
is esoteric and obscure, and that "progress" takes it
in the direction of increasing incomprehensibility.
For example, last year's prize -- although well
deserved -- honored work that most people had never
heard of, and wouldn't understand if you told them.

However, if you look at the actual records,
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/
more than a few of the prizes have honored work with
well-known practical consequences.

As a rule, the best work has value that is both prompt
/and/ long-lasting.

Nakamura isn't even in the physics department. He's in
the materials department, in the college of engineering.
That's OK with me.