Three Scientists share 2009 Nobel for Physics
By admin on October 7, 2009 at 4:14 amThree scientists will share the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday that Charles Kao, Willard Boyle and George Smith have been awarded the most prestigious science award for their work in the field of fiber optics and digital imaging technology.
Charles K. Kao, a British and U.S. citizen, won for “groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.” Willard S. Boyle, a Canadian and U.S. citizen, and George E. Smith, a U.S. citizen, “invented the first successful imaging technology using a digital sensor, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device).”
Kao will get half of the prize for his research that led to a breakthrough in fiber-optics. The practical application of his efforts now can be seen everywhere. Nobel physics committee chairman Joseph Nordgren says Kao’s work really has shaped the way we communicate in the 21st century. “Today more than a billion kilometers of optical fibers around the world forms the backbone of modern, global communications,” Nordgren said.
The other half of the 2009 Physics Nobel Prize will go to Canadian-American Willard Boyle and George Smith from the United States. Working together at Bell Labs in New Jersey, they came up with the first successful imaging technology using a digital sensor. Their invention revolutionized photography and has helped to move us into the digital age.
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Category: Science | Tags: Digital Photography, Fiber Optics, News, Nobel Prize, Physics, Research, Science, Technology