Science? Who cares?
"What do we have to learn this for?" cry the students in our classes. "We're never going to have to use this". Ah... but wait inquisitive youths and doubting oldies......Scientific discoveries made now could lead to amazing technology and treatments in the future! Who knows what discoveries will be used for. Here's the story of just one example of that from the past and it involves a certain Albert Einstein......
SCIENCE STORIES
Mark Prince
1/20/20242 min read
"Science is pants! Who cares? What use is it to us?" cry the youth of today. Well, it's surprising how some apparently meaningless discoveries can lead to amazing breakthroughs in technology! We live in the age of the smart phone, social media and constant selfies. Where would we be without it? Good question. But unless a bloke called Albert Einstein had accidentally confirmed the reality of quantum physics through his work on the photoelectric effect, we would all still be developing our photographs on film and collecting them from the local shop every week....Here's a story how discoveries can end up having unexpected consequences, often many decades later.
Once upon a time, there was a clever physicist named Albert Einstein. He was known for his ground breaking work in the field of physics, including his theory of relativity and his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
The photoelectric effect is when light shines on a material and electrons are emitted from it. Einstein’s explanation of this effect was a major breakthrough in the field of physics and helped to establish the concept of photons, which are particles of light. He proved quantum physics was real (much to his own annoyance - he hated the idea of it)!
Fast forward to the late 1960s, when two physicists named Willard Boyle and George Smith were working on developing a new type of imaging technology. They were inspired by Einstein’s work on the photoelectric effect and used his theories to develop the first charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor.
CCD sensors are used in many of today’s advanced digital cameras and imaging systems. They work by converting light into electrons, which are then captured by the sensor in the form of image points or pixels. This allows the image to be read digitally and stored on a computer.
Boyle and Smith were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 for their invention of the CCD sensor and its impact on technology. Einstein’s work on the photoelectric effect was a key factor in the development of this technology, making him the “grandfather” of the CCD camera.
And that’s the story of how Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect led to the development of digital camera sensors. I know! Amazing isn't it? Hello.....? Hi? Is anyone still there? No, probably off taking selfies on your smart phone. I rest my case m'lud.
