By Jonathan Webb
Science reporter, BBC News



The discovery that neutrinos switch between different "flavours" has won the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics.



Neutrinos are ubiquitous subatomic particles with almost no mass and which rarely interact with anything else, making them very difficult to study.
Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald led two teams which made key observations of the particles inside big underground instruments in Japan and Canada.
They were named on Tuesday morning at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
Goran Hansson, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which decides on the award, declared: "This year's prize is about changes of identity among some of the most abundant inhabitants of the Universe."
Telephoning Prof McDonald from the conference, he said: "Good morning again - I'm the guy who woke you up about 45 minutes ago."


Prof McDonald was in Canada, where he is a professor of particle physics at Queen's University in Kingston. He said hearing the news was "a very daunting experience".
"Fortunately, I have many colleagues as well, who share this prize with me," he added. "[It's] a tremendous amount of work that they have done to accomplish this measurement.
"We have been able to add to the world's knowledge at a very fundamental level."
Prof Kajita, from the University of Tokyo, described the win as "kind of unbelievable". He said he thought his work was important because it had contradicted previous assumptions.
"I think the significance is - clearly there is physics that is beyond the Standard Model."



The mysterious neutrino

-Second most abundant particle in the Universe, after photons of light

-Means 'small neutral one' in Italian; was first proposed by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930

-Uncharged, and created in nuclear reactions and some radioactive decay chains

-Shown to have a tiny mass, but hardly interacts with other particles of matter

-Comes in three flavours, or types, referred to as muon, tau and electron

-These flavours are able to oscillate - flip from one type to another - during flight



In the late 1990s, physicists were faced with a mystery: all their Earth-based detectors were picking out far fewer neutrinos than theoretical models predicted - based on how many should be produced by distant nuclear reactions, from our own Sun to far-flung supernovas.
Those detectors mostly entail huge volumes of fluid, buried deep underground to avoid interference. When such a vast space is littered with light detectors, neutrinos can be glimpsed because of the tiny flashes of light that occur when they - very occasionally - bump into an atom.
They include the Super-Kamiokande detector beneath Japan's Mount Kamioka, where Prof Kajita still works, and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory in Ontario, Canada, run by Prof McDonald. Both are housed in mines.


Shape shifters

In 1998, Prof Kajita's team reported that neutrinos they had caught, bouncing out of collisions in the Earth's atmosphere, had switched identity: they were a different "flavour" from what those collisions must have released.
Then in 2001, the group led by Prof McDonald announced that the neutrinos they were detecting in Ontario, which started out in the Sun, had also "flipped" from their expected identity.
This discovery of the particle's wobbly flavours had crucial implications. It explained why neutrino detections had not matched the predicted quantities - and it meant that the baffling particles must have a mass.
This contradicted the Standard Model of particle physics and changed calculations about the nature of the Universe, including its eternal expansion.

Prof Olga Botner, a member of the prize committee from Uppsala University, said although the work was done by huge teams of physicists, the prize went to two of the field's pioneers.
She said Prof McDonald had proposed and overseen the building of the Sudbury observatory in the 1980s, and been its director since 1990. "He has been the organisational and intellectual leader of this venture."
Prof Kajita, meanwhile, did his PhD research at Kamiokande and then led the atmospheric neutrino group, "trying to make sense of the data they were getting" in the late 1990s.


Cracked model


Prof Stefan Soldner-Rembold, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester, said the prize recognised "a ground-breaking discovery by two large experimental collaborations" led by the two laureates.
"The discovery of neutrino masses and of neutrino oscillations are the first cracks in the Standard Model of particle physics," he told the BBC, adding that with other large-scale experiments currently being planned, "the era of exciting discoveries in neutrino physics has only just begun".
The total number of Nobel physics laureates recognised since 1901 is now 201, including only two women.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences also decides on the chemistry Nobel - announced tomorrow.
The first of the 2015 Nobel Prizes, for physiology or medicine, was awarded on Monday by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet. It was shared by researchers who developed pioneering drugs against parasitic diseases.



Previous winners of the Nobel Prize in physics


2014 - Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura won the physics Nobel for developing the first blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

2013 - Francois Englert and Peter Higgs shared the spoils for formulating the theory of the Higgs boson particle.

2012 - Serge Haroche and David J Wineland were awarded the prize for their work with light and matter.

2011 - The discovery that the expansion of the Universe was accelerating [/b]earned Saul Perlmutter, Brian P Schmidt and Adam Riess the physics prize.

2010 - Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the prize for their[b] discovery of the "wonder material" graphene.

2009 - Charles Kuen Kao won the physics Nobel for helping to develop fibre optic cables.




Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34443695

Omo!!


Seriously, this is AMAZING!!






So this is true!! When will teempakguy and johnydon22 win one?? >;->

Dekatron:
Omo!!

The winner of the Nobel prize in chemistry has been announced earlier today...

Sheikwonder:



The winner of the Nobel prize in chemistry has been announced earlier today...

who is it?? pls post and mentio.n me


lalasticlala, if na COSSY AFROCANDY and her boobs or I LOST MY VIRGINITY , NOBODY WILL cc You oo

Okay,

cc : lalasticlala

Dekatron:


who is it?? pls post and mentio.n me


lalasticlala, if na COSSY AFROCANDY and her boobs or I LOST MY VIRGINITY , NOBODY WILL cc You oo

Okay,

cc : lalasticlala

Haha... :-)


The winners for the Nobel prize in Chemistry are Tomas Lindhal,Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for their discoveries in DNA repair.



Read more at:

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34464580

I suspect the Nobel prize in Economics will be awarded on Thursday as is the norm.The last prizes are for Literature and Peace.

My bet for the peace prize is either Germany's Angela Merkel for her humanitarian efforts towards the Syrian refugees or the Pope for his relentless effort at promoting world peace.


In the end it might be neither of them,but I'm particularly rooting for Merkel.

Higgs boson and neutrino, two new mysterious discoveries.

menesheh:
Higgs boson and neutrino, two new mysterious discoveries.

True...

Of late,the physics prizes have been awarded to discoveries that explain the origin of man and matter. I suspect that in the near future at the rate at which discoveries are going, NASA scientists may reveal proof of extraterrestrial life.

Such a discovery should no doubt merit a Nobel prize,yes?

Sheikwonder:


True...

Of late,the physics prizes have been awarded to discoveries that explain the origin of man and matter. I suspect that in the near future at the rate at which discoveries are going, NASA scientists may reveal proof of extraterrestrial life.

Such a discovery should no doubt merit a Nobel prize,yes?

The only problem discovering extra terrestrial life posses is distance. The distance is immensely staggering. But it is statistically plausible.

There is this video i watched on YouTube about solving the problems possed with increasing the speed in covering distance, scientific fictional predictions of Possible solutions are awesome. Like using antimatter to busted off materials and microbes to exo planets.



As you said, the rate at which science is pursuing ultimate origin of all things is mind-boggling. If the trend continue with this pace, in the next 500 years, there will be more vivid clarity about all this Chinese puzzles we are witnessing and insinuating today.

menesheh:




The only problem discovering extra terrestrial life posses is distance. The distance is immensely staggering. But it is statistically plausible....As you said, the rate at which science is pursuing ultimate origin of all things is mind-boggling. If the trend continue with this pace, in the next 500 years, there will be more vivid clarity about all this Chinese puzzles we are witnessing and insinuating today.

On the issue of E.T,I share Fermi's sentiments[from "Fermi's Paradox"].

How has it been that despite the billions of years the earth is,and the vast amount of planets we have,only one planet-earth,exists with proof of life? Was the big bang selective in just allowing 1 out of several sextillion planets to contain life? Why is there no concrete proof of E.T yet if it does exist?

Issues like this hang a question mark over scientific theories such as the big bang and evolution...

A penny for your thoughts on this?

Sheikwonder:


On the issue of E.T,I share Fermi's sentiments[from "Fermi's Paradox"].

How has it been that despite the billions of years the earth is,and the vast amount of planets we have,only one planet-earth,exists with proof of life? Was the big bang selective in just allowing 1 out of several sextillion planets to contain life? Why is there no concrete proof of E.T yet if it does exist?

Issues like this hang a question mark over scientific theories such as the big bang and evolution...

A penny for your thoughts on this?

science don't do magic. science is based on methodological naturalism and building models for investigating phenomena we cant explain.

The issue of why science never come up with concrete proof yet of big bang bra bra is a naive one. science deals with observable phenomenon and evidence they could gather to support such concept to the best of their capability.

How has it been that despite the billions of years the earth is,and the vast amount of planets we have,only one planet-earth,exists with proof of life?

human are meant to explore whether or not there are other planets that support or even contain any life form. For millions of year, human up till now, have not phantom such measures and mechanisms to discover alien life. Big bang is not selective of anything. you are asserting and referring big bang as an animate intelligent medium that dictates what should be.

menesheh:



science don't do magic. science is based on methodological naturalism and building models for investigating phenomena we cant explain.

The issue of why science never come up with concrete proof yet of big bang bra bra is a naive one. science deals with observable phenomenon and evidence they could gather to support such concept to the best of their capability.





human are meant to explore whether or not there are other planets that support or even contain any life form. For millions of year, human up till now, have not phantom such measures and mechanisms to discover alien life. Big bang is not selective of anything. you are asserting and referring big bang as an animate intelligent medium that dictates what should be.

I will not press this matter further. Obviously we have differing views. Suffice to note however that science itself came about as a result of man's quest to challenge age old thoughts and traditions,like the view that the sun rotated round the earth, that draining the blood of humans struck with the plague was the way to stop it,etc

The Age of Reason essentially ushered in the Age of Science. However science should not be so conceited as to not know its limit. As Einstein himself said,"Science without Religion is lame,Religion without Science is blind".

The Big Bang is a theory that seeks to explain the origin of the Universe. It's quite interesting and though I'm a Christian,some of what is speculated is within reason and is as well backed by proof such as the discovery of Higgs' Boson. It would be a good step to see if they can demystify "dark matter" as well.

However on the subject of Aliens, some things do not quite add up. Fermi was a foremost physicist in this field,and even he expressed doubts. I also share his sentiments. If you think deeply about it, you'll understand what I;m saying. This thread is meant to celebrate the achievement of Nobel Laureates in their respective fields.I would like to see it stays on course.


Thank you very much for your input,I can honestly say I gleaned a thing or two from it....

Dekatron:


who is it?? pls post and mentio.n me


lalasticlala, if na COSSY AFROCANDY and her boobs or I LOST MY VIRGINITY , NOBODY WILL cc You oo

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cc : lalasticlala

Nobel prize in Literature just announced.For the first time ever,a journalist wins it!

Her name?

Belarussian author and journalist,Svetlana Alexievich.


Read more at:

www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34475251

Dekatron:


who is it?? pls post and mentio.n me


lalasticlala, if na COSSY AFROCANDY and her boobs or I LOST MY VIRGINITY , NOBODY WILL cc You oo

Okay,

cc : lalasticlala

Nobel Peace Prize winners announced!

The Tunisian Quartet.

Read more at:

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34485865

Sheikwonder:

oga Sheikwonder, so you are a Christain?
When will you finish your 4th dimenison series na?
Always tag me along in your SCIENCE related thread.

paranorman:

oga Sheikwonder, so you are a Christain?
When will you finish your 4th dimenison series na?
Always tag me along in your SCIENCE related thread.

I wrote the 4th dimension series roughly a year ago.
I stopped due to lack of followership and also due to the quite vast nature of the topic.I suppose you can state whatever questions you have on the issue.I will try to answer what I can.Reviving the series is an issue for another time.

I'm not sure how "tagging" works on nairaland,but you can at least check my profile to see my latest topics.

All the best in your endeavours,be good...

ah . . . i absolutely love this. there is nothing that is going to stop me. i have made up my mind jare. i am going to be a physicist.

meanwhile, dekatron, you are going to have to wait a few decades though.

Teempakguy:
ah . . . i absolutely love this. there is nothing that is going to stop me. i have made up my mind jare. i am going to be a physicist.

meanwhile, dekatron, you are going to have to wait a few decades though.

Hello teem, it's like this discovery is going to cause a rethink the way we consider dark matter. For one I been doing a lot of thought experiment and I was going to attack you head on, on that your dark matter thread but my subscription got expired, I tried to post with the little mb I got but keep losing my typed work so I gave up.

This is good news because I have always felt that the issue of dark matter is like taking us back to the days of phlogiston

Blakjewelry:

Hello teem, it's like this discovery is going to cause a rethink the way we consider dark matter. For one I been doing a lot of thought experiment and I was going to attack you head on, on that your dark matter thread but my subscription got expired, I tried to post with the little mb I got but keep losing my typed work so I gave up.

This is good news because I have always felt that the issue of dark matter is like taking us back to the days of phlogiston

a brain wave just came right now.

what if the reason why we can't find dark matter is because like neutrinos, the involved particles are constantly evolving and changing so that we cannot measure them?

meanwhile, i eagerly await you at the dark matter speculation thread . . .

Mehn................... I miss those days when I was a Science Fanatic

Teempakguy:
what if the reason why we can't find dark matter is because like neutrinos, the involved particles are constantly evolving and changing so that we cannot measure them?

Sometimes I wonder if this Standard Model upon which many of this theories such as dark matter,string theory etc. later turn out to be wrong...that would be a major blow for science.I say this because as more hypotheses spring up to explain certain phenomena,more questions are created.

For example,gravitational lensing is shown as proof of the existence of dark matter and energy.The theory is convenient because it explains the discrepancy between the apparent mass of the universe and it's true mass,which is believed to be occupied by an unseen & an undetected force called dark energy.

However that brings us to another question:what causes gravitational lensing? You say gravity. What then causes gravity? You say an unknown force.But isn't that the same force,"dark energy"?

#Circles

The Nobel Prize in Economics has been announced!
The winner is British Economics Professor,Angus Deaton of Princeton University.
Read more at:
www.bbc.com/news/business-34505586