Modern society is unthinkable without scientific advances, engineering and technology. Over the past 100 years, these inventions have radically changed the life of man and his ideas about the surrounding Universe. American scientists made a great contribution to the development of science, some of which will be discussed in this article.
Famous American Inventors Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is considered the most famous American scientist of the XVIII century. He made a great contribution to the development of politics and national culture, but most of all he is known for his love of experiences with electric current. He invented a lightning rod and put forward several theories related to electricity. In addition, his inventions include bifocal lenses, a urinary catheter, and a speedometer.
Another famous American scientist and inventor is Thomas Edison (1847-1931). On the account of this person more than 1000 different inventions. The most famous of them is an incandescent lamp. A large number of his inventions relate to the fields of radio electronics and cinematography. It is interesting to note that if we divide all of Edison’s discoveries by the time of his life (with the exception of his childhood), it turns out that he invents something new every two weeks.
Americans with Nobel Prize in Physics
The list of American scientists who received the Nobel Prize in physics is quite long. Here is a list of the most famous personalities who over the past 15 years have been awarded this high award:
- David J. Gross, H. David Politzer and Frank Wilcek. These scientists received an award in 2004 for research in the field of physics of strong interactions.
- Roy J. Glauber. He became a Nobel laureate in 2005 for his research in the field of quantum theory and coherence in optics.
- John C. Mather and George Smoot. These scientists received a prize in 2006 for space exploration, in particular, for the discovery of anisotropy of cosmic radiation.
- Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt, and Adam G. Riess. All of these scientists became Nobel Prize winners in 2011 for their discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe through observations of supernovae.
- The physics prize in 2017 was awarded for research by American scientists in the field of gravitational waves. She was awarded Rainer Weiss (Rainer Weiss), Barry Barish (Barry Barish) and Kip Thorne (Kip Thorne).
American Nobel Laureates in Chemistry
Over the past 15 years, many American scientists have received the Nobel Prize for achievements in chemistry. Here is a list of names and the corresponding discovery area:
- Irwin Rose (Irwin Rose). An American biochemist who won an award in 2004 for research on ubiquitin-dependent protein breakdown.
- Robert H. Grubbs and Richard R. Schrock. These scientists received an award in 2005 for developing the method of organic metathesis synthesis.
- Roger D. Kornberg The American scientist became a laureate in 2006 for the study of eukaryotes.
- Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien American biochemists were awarded in 2008. The prize went to them for researching green fluorescent protein.
- Thomas A. Steitz 2009 Nobel Laureate. He was awarded for a comprehensive study of the structure and properties of the ribosome.
- Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka. Scientists received an award in 2012 for research on receptors attached to the so-called protein G.
If we talk about the Nobel Prizes to American scientists in chemistry in the first half of the XX century, it should be noted Theodore William Richards (Theodore William Richards, 1914), who was awarded for determining the atomic mass of many chemical elements, as well as Harold Clayton Urey (Harold Clayton Urey , 1934), which discovered heavy hydrogen deuterium.
Americans who excelled in their labors in medicine
Here is a list of famous American Nobel laureates in the field of medicine, starting in the 20th century:
- Thomas H. Morgan 1933 Prize for discovering the important role of chromosomes in the inheritance of genetic information.
- Joseph Erlanger and Herbert S. Gasser. These scientists became laureates in 1944 for the study of nerve fibers.
- Selman A. Waksman. 1952 Prize for research on the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis - streptomycin.
- Peyton Rous and Charles B. Huggins. Laureates of 1966 who were awarded for the discovery of the hormonal treatment for prostate cancer.
- David Baltimore, Renato Dulbecco, Howard M. Temin. These scientists received a prize in 1975 for researching the mechanism of interaction of cancer viruses with the genetic material of the cell.
- Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein. They became the owners of the award in 1985. Received a premium for the discovery of cholesterol metabolism.
Speaking about modern American scientists, it should be noted Bruce Beutler (Bruce Beutler), who became a Nobel laureate in 2011 for his contribution to the development of immunology, as well as John O'Keefe (John O'Keefe), who won the award in 2014 for research brain.
Americans who excelled in literature
The number of American scientists who received the Nobel Prize in literature during the 20th century is significantly less than the number of American laureates in the field of natural sciences. So, for the XX and XXI centuries, only 10 Americans were awarded this title. The most famous of them are Ernest Hemingway (1954 prize for the work “The Old Man and the Sea”), Joseph Brodsky (1987 prize, the work “History of the 20th Century”) and Tony Morrison (1993 prize for the novel “Beloved”).