How Edison Inspired Eli Yablonovitch to Create Four World-Changing Inventions
632nm14 Mars 2025

How Edison Inspired Eli Yablonovitch to Create Four World-Changing Inventions

Eli Yablonovitch shares how Thomas Edison's approach of requiring "a thousand failed discoveries for every one that works" shaped his scientific philosophy. From solar cells to semiconductor lasers to photonic crystals to cell phone antennas, Yablonovitch reveals how each invention evolved from identifying fundamental physics concepts that others overlooked. He explains how his light-trapping concept now used in every solar panel stemmed from thinking about statistical mechanics. His strained semiconductor laser design, which initially faced industry resistance, eventually became the standard in all laser pointers and DVDs. Throughout his career spanning Bell Labs, Exxon, and academia, Yablonovitch demonstrates that true innovation comes from understanding basic physics principles and having the courage to pursue ideas others dismiss as impossible.

Avsnitt(50)

How Quantum Sensors Can Measure Single Electrons | Amir Yacoby

How Quantum Sensors Can Measure Single Electrons | Amir Yacoby

How do you measure something as small as a single electron or map quantum behavior at the nanoscale?In this episode, Misha spoke with Amir Yacoby, professor at Harvard University, about the cutting ed...

5 Maj 2h 1min

The Physics of Un-Hackable Face Recognition | Rob Devlin on Metalenz

The Physics of Un-Hackable Face Recognition | Rob Devlin on Metalenz

How do you turn a flat piece of nanostructured material into a secure biometric sensor?In this episode, we speak with Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz, about how metasurfaces are transformin...

21 Apr 1h 13min

The Real Economics of Data Centers in Space | Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston

The Real Economics of Data Centers in Space | Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston

Are data centers in space physically possible, or just another overhyped idea?In this episode, we speak with Philip Johnston, CEO of Starcloud, about the technical and economic case for putting AI inf...

1 Apr 1h 37min

How To Make Quantum Algorithms Cheaper | Craig Gidney on Magic-State Factories, Resource Estimates

How To Make Quantum Algorithms Cheaper | Craig Gidney on Magic-State Factories, Resource Estimates

How do you actually make quantum algorithms work on real hardware?Build your own quantum circuits in Crumble: https://algassert.com/crumbleIn this episode, we speak with Craig Gidney of Google Quantum...

27 Mars 2h 3min

How Neurons Translate Electricity into Chemistry | Tom Südhof

How Neurons Translate Electricity into Chemistry | Tom Südhof

How do neurons convert electrical signals into chemical messages in under a millisecond?In this episode, we speak with Thomas Südhof, Stanford neuroscientist and Nobel laureate whose discoveries revea...

10 Mars 1h 30min

How Engineers Solve “Impossible” Problems | Dan Gelbart

How Engineers Solve “Impossible” Problems | Dan Gelbart

How do engineers solve problems that seem to violate the laws of physics?In this episode, we speak with Dan Gelbart, a prolific inventor and precision engineer, about what it really means to work at t...

17 Feb 2h 3min

How Visual Experience Rewires the Brain | Mark Bear on Neuroplasticity

How Visual Experience Rewires the Brain | Mark Bear on Neuroplasticity

How does experience rewire the brain—and why is vision the ideal system for understanding neuroplasticity?In this episode, we speak with Mark Bear, MIT neuroscientist and a pioneer in the study of exp...

3 Feb 1h 55min

Snell's Law, Metasurfaces, and Metalenses  | Federico Capasso

Snell's Law, Metasurfaces, and Metalenses | Federico Capasso

How can flat surfaces shape light as powerfully as bulky lenses?In this episode, we speak with Federico Capasso, Harvard physicist and pioneer of metasurfaces, metalenses, and nanophotonics. Capasso t...

20 Jan 2h 13min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

p3-dystopia
dumma-manniskor
allt-du-velat-veta
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-ufobortom-rimligt-tvivel
det-morka-psyket
sexet
svd-nyhetsartiklar
rss-vetenskapsradion
bildningspodden
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
halsorevolutionen
rss-odla
paranormalt-med-caroline-giertz
rss-spraket
hacka-livet
medicinvetarna
barnpsykologerna
dumforklarat
klimakteriepodden