Nobel Prize Physics 2009 – Results here!
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009
Charles K. Kao – “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication” (1/2 Prize);
AND
Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith – “for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor” (1/4 Prize each).
Congratulations!
October 6, 2009 at 1:15 pm
It’s great that practical inventions in applied physics are being awarded prizes, although these prizes have been a long time in coming. The research was done in the 1960s, so the scientists have all retired and the original aim or Nobel – that the prize money will make the scientist free to do further research without financial worry – is perhaps superfluous in this case.
Optical fibres are essential to broadband cable communications free from EMI, while CCD sensors of course were vital for the discovery of the acceleration of the universe because the CCD telescopes could be directly connected directly to computers to search for supernova flashes in real time. Also, CCD’s are used in digital cameras, TV, etc. (Thank God the prize wasn’t given for M-theory’s landscape of parallel multiverses.)
October 6, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Well, as far as I know, Nobel prizes are not given for untested or untestable theories, so you do not have to worry, at least if the criteria remains unchanged, for a long time.
October 8, 2009 at 6:22 am
Hi Christine,
It’s nice of you to recognize the achievements of the Nobel winners with posting their names on your blog. Williard Boyle I hold a special affinity for as he was born and has retired in the part of Canada from which I hail. It’s significant also since just yesterday marked the 57th anniversary of the invention of bar code which wasn’t actually able to be practically put to use for anther 20 years until the invention of the charge coupler devise, which Boyle helped to bring to the world and a practical laser which formed to be what the other half of this year’s prize involved. So you could say all this work assures us today that the price is right:-)
Best,
Phil