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VIDEO: "Pinch Me To Make Sure This Is Really Happening," Says Boulder Nobel Winner

Geoffrey Wheeler
/
NIST

It has been a whirlwind day for David Wineland, who along with Serge Haroche, won the Nobel prize for physics this year.

http://youtu.be/Vz0fQJ1nldU

The Associated Press caught up with Wineland at his home earlier, catching his reaction to being announced as a co-honoree for the Nobel in physics. After a very early morning phone call, as well as a quick interview, he admits in the video to being tired and surprised. "I was telling my wife earlier to pinch me to make sure this is really happening, so no, I suppose it hasn't really sunk in yet."

Wineland has been at NIST for 37 years, his work involves using lasers to cool ions to near absolute zero. This work is tied to the future of quantum computing as well as laser-cooled atomic clocks.

Paul Beale, the chair of the CU-Boulder Department of Physics had this to say on Wineland's award:

“The department of physics is thrilled about David's Nobel Prize. His research using trapped ions to study quantum entanglement, now recognized for the groundbreaking work it is by a Nobel Prize, acknowledges his great successes. David is an important member of our graduate faculty who has been both a key graduate adviser for our students and a strong member of our graduate student recruiting team. His laboratory at NIST has allowed our graduate students to engage in world-class research, and it's an honor for our department to be associated with him.”

Earlier: Boulder's David Wineland Shares 2012 Nobel Prize In Physics With Serge Haroche

I’m not a Colorado native (did you know that "I'm from Missouri" means "I'm skeptical of the matter and not easily convinced?") but I have lived here for most of my life and couldn't imagine leaving. After graduating from Colorado State University, I did what everyone wants to do; I moved to the mountains and skied, hiked, and hid from responsibility! Our listeners in the mountains may know me from my time in Steamboat Springs and Vail or as the voice of the Battle Mountain Huskies Hockey team in Vail.
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