News
World’s oldest Nobel Prize winner dies at 100
John Goodenough, the world’s oldest Nobel Prize winner who played a crucial role in developing the lithium-ion battery, has died at the age of 100.
He passed away on Sunday, according to the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked as an engineering professor. “John’s legacy as a brilliant scientist is immeasurable,” said University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell.
The University of Texas described him as a “dedicated public servant, a sought-after mentor and a brilliant yet humble inventor”.
Dr Goodenough was awarded a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2019 at the age of 97 for his work on batteries, including the development of the lithium-ion battery.
The lightweight, powerful battery sparked a revolution in technology, paving the way for modern portable electronics such as laptops and mobile phones. The batteries also play a critical role in powering larger modern devices, including solar panels and millions of electric vehicles around the globe.
Born in Germany in 1922 to American parents, Dr Goodenough grew up in the north-eastern US and served in the US army as a meteorologist during World War II. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Yale University, as well as a PhD in physics from the University of Chicago.
He was married to Irene Wiseman, who passed away in 2016.
His discoveries “improved the lives of billions of people around the world”, Hartzell said. “He was a leader at the cutting edge of scientific research throughout the many decades of his career, and he never ceased searching for innovative energy-storage solutions.”
Dr Goodenough started his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked for 24 years and helped develop random-access memory for the computer. There, he became one of the founders of the modern theory of magnetism, which has played a pivotal role in the field of telecommunications.
Asked by the BBC’s John Humphrys in 2016 what it was like to know that his discoveries had changed the way humans live, Dr Goodenough said he did not “think about it too much”. “I’m very gratified that I’ve provided something for the people of this world,” he said. He joked at the time that he himself did not have a mobile phone because he did not like to be “bothered”.
The professor was known for his quick wit and “infectious laugh”, according to the University of Texas. “That laugh could be heard reverberating through UT engineering buildings,” the University said.
Recently, Dr Goodenough and his team at the University of Texas had been researching new ways of storing energy, including via a battery made of glass.
(BBC)
The book “Rathuwewi Mihimadala”, written based on the life story of Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Leader of the Democratic Left Front, was launched on Friday [August 28] at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
Speaking to the media afterwards about Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“Vasudeva Nanayakkara is a prominent figure in Sri Lankan politics, particularly within the left-wing political movement. There were several influential figures within the left movement, and that left-wing influence also contributed to bringing the country to where it is today. Politically, there were areas where we agreed and areas where we did not. However, I have great respect for the contribution made by Vasudeva Nanayakkara to left-wing politics. When I entered Parliament in 2020, Vasudeva Nanayakkara was also in Parliament. We sat in the same row, and we spoke about many important as well as interesting moments in his political career. I believe some of these experiences have also been included in this book.”
The event was attended by members of the Maha Sangha, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Speakers Karu Jayasuriya and Chamal Rajapaksa, as well as party members, family members and friends.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Latest News
Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.
(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.
The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.
Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.
“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.
The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.
Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.
Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels
“Rathuwewi Mihimadala” Book Launched with the Participation of the Prime Minister
Turkiye, Somalia forces free cargo vessel hijacked by pirates
Ferry carrying 260 people capsizes off northern Cyprus coast
Imam unlikely to play rest of Lord’s Test after picking up left calf tear
Vimukthi, Ayodhya hand Sri Lanka winning start to Asia Cup title defence
Voting closes in Iceland’s knife-edge EU referendum
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoMissing doctor’s body found in Mahiyanganaya
-
News6 days agoAustralia declines to release Finance Secy Suriyapperuma’s citizenship details
-
News6 days ago22A: BASL suggests CJ recuse himself from hearing petitions
-
News3 days agoEight politicians in drug kingpin probe
-
Editorial7 days agoGovts. drag feet as undergrads age
-
Business3 days agoSri Lanka opens up: A new season of direct connectivity
-
Features5 days agoInsights from Chieftains of Uva: Genealogy of two Kandyan Families – Part II
-
Features3 days agoRedefining ageing in Sri Lanka