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[Oersted]

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The scientists from the University of Tokyo and Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, have won the prize “for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass”.

The pair’s work had solved a puzzling observation that, compared with theoretical calculations of the number of neutrinos expected to be bombarding the Earth, up to two-thirds were apparently missing from measurements.

Kajita and McDonald’s had discovered that the apparently missing subatomic particles had in fact changed identities. This implied that neutrinos, which physicists had thought were massless, must have mass, which in turn meant that the so-called standard model of physics cannot be complete in its explanation of the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

More here

http://www.theguardian.com/science/...win-nobel-physics-prize-for-work-on-neutrinos

Lock if old

 

[Khaz]

, which in turn meant that the so-called standard model of physics cannot be complete in its explanation of the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

Can someone explain this part?

 

[Zane]

What does this mean for the McRib?

 

[DragonSworne]

What does this mean for the McRib?

More mass means more meat. They'll be coming back bigger and better now.

 

[onimushroom]

I'm not gonna lie, I read the title as "McDonald's has won the Nobel prize for work on nutrition".

 

[Fury451]

I'm not gonna lie, I read the title as "McDonald's has won the Nobel prize for work on nutrition".

As did I. That new CEO putting in work.

 

[bobbytkc]

Japan is on a roll here with the nobel prizes. Last year's prize for physics was shared between 3 japanese physicists.

 

[Aikidoka]

Cool, they did this work a while ago right? Or at least oscillation of neutrinos has been an idea since the 50s

Can someone explain this part?

Easy, that is not really correct. The mass of a neutrino is an input parameter, which we originally thought to be zero. However, when you add a nonzero neutrino mass(Es) you need to add other things to make the model usable or "renormalizable" as physicists call it.

 

[iamblades]

Can someone explain this part?

The standard model of particle physics(the mathematical model that we use to predict and expand our knowledge of sub atomic particles) assumes a massless neutrino. If we put a massive neutrino in the calculations, we have to rework the entire model to fit, which gives us the opportunity for new predictions.

 

[mclem]

The standard model of particle physics(the mathematical model that we use to predict and expand our knowledge of sub atomic particles) assumes a massless neutrino.

So, in real terms, this is Kajita and the Waves with their investigation into whether you can, in fact, walk on sunshine?

 

[Stiflers Mom]

What does this mean for the McRib?

Come to Germany, we always have them in store in our McDonaldos...

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

You hear the one about the two neutrinos that went through a bar..

 

[Yrael]

Can someone explain this part?

Neutrinos in the basic standard model (the most complete and coherent mathematical framework we have describing nature's physical forces and building blocks) were assumed to be massless, since early observations of neutrinos found them to be so.

What this work showed in 1998 is the existence of a phenomenon called neutrino oscillations (neutrinos change "flavour" in mid flight) - in order to change flavour, however, neutrinos must have a mass, which demonstrates conclusively the existence of physics beyond the standard model (and solved the solar neutrino problem). This in turn must lead to a reworking of the basic model to fit the new physics that we have observed.

Here is a link that describes what neutrino oscillations are in an accessible way:

http://www.ps.uci.edu/~superk/oscillation.html

Precisely how neutrinos gain mass though is a mystery that still hasn't been fully solved (they do not do so via the Higgs mechanism like the other massive particles that we know of).

 

[Admiral Woofington]

They'll do anything to try and be relevant again. First the 24/7 breakfast now this

 

[gaugebozo]

Can someone explain this part?

Neutrinos are assumed to be massless in the Standard Model. If you try to include netruno masses in the way other particles get their mass (the Higgs mechanism), you get that their interactions with the Higgs are 10^-12 times smaller than the rest of the particles in the Standard Model. Such a big difference in how particles interact needs to be explained, it's what physicists call a naturalness problem.

Other ways exist to put mass in for neutrinos, but they are totally different from the usual way, and would be brand new, never before seen physics.

 

[BrokenFiction]

So, in real terms, this is Kajita and the Waves with their investigation into whether you can, in fact, walk on sunshine?

This is the Nobel Prize of posts.

 

[FelixOrion]

Cool, they did this work a while ago right? Or at least oscillation of neutrinos has been an idea since the 50s

The scientific Nobel prizes are all awarded in retrospect many years after the discovery.