Physics and Deep Learning: An Introduction to the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics honored John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for foundational discoveries that enabled today’s deep learning revolution. Written for a broad physics audience, this popular science article traces the deep intellectual connections between physics and neural networks — from statistical mechanics inspiration to modern applications in first-principles materials simulations — and offers a glimpse into how deep learning is reshaping the way physicists understand and predict the quantum world.