06.10.2011                      08.Tischrei. 5772

Nobelpreis:

Technion’s Shechtman becomes nation’s 10th Nobel laureate

Materials scientist overcame ridicule to show world the seriousness of his new type of crystal; Netanyahu: Prize reflects intellect of our people.

Israel’s 10th Nobel Prize – and fourth in chemistry – was awarded on Wednesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to Prof. Dan Shechtman, a materials science scientist at Haifa’s Technion- Israel Institute of Technology.
His discovery in 1982 that atoms in rigid crystals can be packed together in unusual ways led to the development of extremely strong materials from metal surgical tools and razor blades to diesel engines, and as protective coatings and metal alloys. What became known as quasiperiodic or quasicrystals do not rust or become oxidized and have almost no surface friction….