Nobel Prize for Physics is mine by proxy

See here. The committee gave the Nobel Prize for Physics to the iPod. Sort of. Actually to a couple of guys who worked on one of the underlying technologies in the iPod. But according to Katie that's just a way for the committee to give us -- well, me, actually -- a prize without having to look like they're doing a favor for a big company. We're planning a big celebration here with the two guys, Fert (real name, I'm not kidding) and Grunberg, who nominally received the award. Katie is already in talks with them. Apparently they're balking at the idea of giving me their gold medals, or trophies, or whatever you get when you win a Nobel, plus the money, which is about a million and a half bucks. Our feeling is that hey, yes, these men did some fine work. But the only reason anyone ever noticed that work was that we took their very abstract theoretical ideas and actually put them to use. Plus, not to be a dick or anything but we apparently have some patents on the stuff they're claiming as their own. We'd like to get this done without things turning ugly, but if we have to play hardball we will. Weird thing is the two guys are both doctors and they don't even live in the United States. Who knew?