Two scientists 鈥� one French, one American - have won the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics. will share the $1.2 million award for their work in quantum physics.
Update 1:38 p.m.: The AP has video of David Wineland's reaction to suddenly being a very popular man after winning the Nobel, .
Update 8:01 a.m.: The from the Nobel committee and on the honorees.
Update 7:50 a.m.: The and their work that led to the award.
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Wineland is a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder. this morning on the announcement, saying the physicists' work that won the award was working out how to "observe and manipulate subatomic particles without destroying them."
In a that starts out reminiscent of many a 'morning zoo' show crank call, Wineland discussed his work that led to the award. The observations may lead to breakthroughs in quantum computing. As Wineland says in the interview, "...you have to say that it's a long way before we have a useful quantum computer. But I think most of us feel that even though that is a long, you know, long way off before we can realise such a computer, many of us feel it will eventually happen."
Here's a little more on atomic clocks and computing from David Wineland himself in a video from the Institute for Quantum Computing:
http://youtu.be/D3yefG2CkSE
Wineland is a lecturer in the physics department, and head of the at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
