Present- Goodenough

Present- the gifts which shook the world are discoveries. Imagine living life without polio vaccine, quinine, electric lights, the aeroplanes, space rockets and many many more essentials. Imagine life without batteries and transistors!! I feel all the discoveries which are comforting our lives are the presents given to us by the scientists behind the discoveries. How silently they work! How many of us are bothered to know their names?

One such Professor is John Bannister Goodenough. His invention of lithium-ion batteries has changed the world. Without it, we would not have smartphones, tablets or laptops, including the device you are holding at this very moment to read my post. There would be no Apple. No Samsung. No Tesla.

The batteries are our life. Various batteries in various sizes and shapes are illuminating our lives everyday. We need more power, current, voltage. Earlier the batteries were heavy and with lesser capacities. Using Lithium in batteries gives us the highest voltage, more capacity and more cycle life. These batteries are lighter than any other batteries to carry. When Prof. Goodenough was 57, he gave the world this powerhouse which contain highly reactive but the lightest metal lithium. The technology is neither easy to make nor easy to understand. But we are happy to have it in our life.

Why this charismatic Professor inspired me is the reason how active is he at this age of 95! Twice nominated for the Nobel Prize and receiver of many prestigious awards, he regularly visits his lab everyday. At this age, Prof Goodenough has invented a newer version of lithium battery which has all solid state electrolyte. The energy efficiency is much higher than other batteries. It is very difficult to understand its technology and it is unbelievable too. Hope this battery works and we get rid of the power crisis.

The highly efficient batteries which Prof Goodenough has invented are the present of Science to the society. What we the common people do in a day is nothing as compared to a scientists’ work. Many things are to be learnt from the scientists to understand life better. The self less work towards the benefit of human race is the real present.

My salute to all the scientists who make our life comfortable.

Present