Did you hear that Stan Ovshinsky died recently at 89? Not all that sure who Ovshinsky was? Well you, like many others, including myself, should not feel quite so bad, I guess. However Stan can quite literately be called the architect of today's society!
In the GMA article that Xnewsman sent me, are a short list of what Stan can be credited:
His obituary credited him for contributing to sustainable energy and innovative information technology with inventions like:
- the environmentally friendly nickel-metal (NiMH) hydride battery, which has been widely used in laptop computers, digital cameras, cell phones, and electric and hybrid cars
- continuous web multi-junction flexible thin-film solar energy laminates and panels
- flat screen liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
- rewritable CD and DVD computer storage
- hydrogen fuel cells
- nonvolatile phase-change electronic memories
Imagine today's society without these innovations... Fairly daunting isn't it? Stan Ovshinsky was to the tech industry as Henry Ford was to the automotive industry. If you are interested in more the article has quite a lot of info here
2 comments:
It's a sad reflection on society when important people like this are almost completely unknown, while many people who contribute nothing to society (Simon Cowell for example) are household names. Tanks for the post - at least /i get to hear about him posthumously.
EXACTLY Dave! When I mention Hawkins I get blank stares But you ask who their "heroes" are they are invariably someone with gobs of money and no moral fiber what so ever!
And when one of the greatest feats ever accomplished by mankind, rating right up there with Columbus stepping on the new world goes completely unrecognized, on has to wonder what hope there is for humanity in general
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