Beyond Einstein : New Jersey’s* Contributions to World Science and Technology
* also New York City and Philadelphia
Michael G. Littman Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University 1 Since 1664 …
• What radical innovations originate and thrive in NJ ?
• Who are the key people ?
• How has society changed ?
2 For this talk …
• List NJ innovators, innovations, and organizations Since 1664 … • Select the most significant • What radical innovations originate and thrive in NJ ? • Group them
• Who are the key people ? Common theme emerges – • How has society changed ? NJ contributions to origin and development of electric power and information networks is extensive
3 “ CEE 102 Engineering For this talk … in the Modern World” • List NJ innovators, DESIGN innovations, and organizations Structures Civil Machines Mechanical • Select the most significant Networks Electrical Processes Chemical • Group them
DISCOVERY Physics Common theme emerges – Astronomy NJ contributions to origin and Chemistry development of electric power Geology and information networks is extensive
No Life Science or Medicine 4 Edward Sorel – “People of Progress” – 20th Century
(left to right): Philo T. Farnsworth, George Washington Carver, Jonas Salk, Henry Ford, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Albert Einstein, Charles H. Townes, Charles Steinmetz, J. C. R. Licklider, John Von Neumann, William H. Gates III, Robert Goddard, James Dewey 5 Watson, Wallace Hume Carothers, Rachel Carson, Willis Carrier, Gertrude Elion, Edwin H. Armstrong, Robert Noyce Edward Sorel – “People of Progress” – 20th Century
(left to right): Philo T. Farnsworth, George Washington Carver, Jonas Salk, Henry Ford, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Albert Einstein, Charles H. Townes, Charles Steinmetz, J. C. R. Licklider, John Von Neumann, William H. Gates III, Robert Goddard, James Dewey 6 Watson, Wallace Hume Carothers, Rachel Carson, Willis Carrier, Gertrude Elion, Edwin H. Armstrong, Robert Noyce Christian Schussele – “Men of Progress” – 19th Century
(left to right): William Thomas Green Morton, James Bogardus, Samuel Colt, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Joseph Saxton, Charles Goodyear, Peter Cooper, Jordan Lawrence Mott, Joseph Henry, Eliphalet Nott, John Ericsson, Frederick Sickels, Samuel Finley Breese 7 Morse, Henry Burden, Richard March Hoe, Erastus Bigelow, Isaiah Jennings, Thomas Blanchard, and Elias Howe. Benjamin Franklin Peter Cooper Alfred Vail’s Samuel F.B. Morse Joseph Henry Telegraph Register
Christian Schussele – “Men of Progress” – 19th Century
(left to right): William Thomas Green Morton, James Bogardus, Samuel Colt, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Joseph Saxton, Charles Goodyear, Peter Cooper, Jordan Lawrence Mott, Joseph Henry, Eliphalet Nott, John Ericsson, Frederick Sickels, Samuel Finley Breese 8 Morse, Henry Burden, Richard March Hoe, Erastus Bigelow, Isaiah Jennings, Thomas Blanchard, and Elias Howe. Telegraph Register (Printer) by Alfred Vail of Morristown NJ
moving tape
Morse code
Register base-plate signed by Alfred Vail in 9 places – note on bottom …."This lever and roller were invented by me in the sixth story of the New York Observer office, in 1844, before we put up the telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore... I am the sole and only inventor of this mode of telegraph embossing writing. Professor Morse gave me no clue to it... and I have not asserted publicly my right as first and sole inventor, because I wished to preserve the peaceful unity of the invention, and because I could not, according to my contract with Professor Morse, have got a patent for it. "
9 First Grouping
• Ideas • Inventions • Industries
10 Ideas
First Grouping Joseph Henry strong electromagnet • Ideas Albert Einstein theory of relativity • Inventions • Industries John von Neumann stored-program digital computer
11 Ideas
Electric Motor Telegraph POWER INFORMATION Joseph Henry strong electromagnet
Albert Einstein theory of relativity
NUCLEAR POWER NUCLEAR WEAPONS John von Neumann stored-program Memory used for digital computer program and data
12 How society changed
At the time of … my original experiments on electro-magnetism …, I was urged by a friend to take out a patent, both for its application to machinery and to the telegraph, but this I declined, Electric Motor Telegraph on the ground that I did not then consider it POWER INFORMATION compatible with the dignity of science … In this perhaps I was too fastidious. – J. Henry 1876
The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have NUCLEAR POWER NUCLEAR WEAPONS become a watchmaker. – A. Einstein 1945
It would appear that we have reached the limits Memory used for of what it is possible to achieve with computer program and data technology, although one should be careful with such statements, as they tend to sound pretty silly in 5 years. – J. von Neumann 1949
13 All residents of Princeton NJ
Daniel Chester French Statue of Joseph Henry at Princeton University
Horse-shoe Electric Motor Telegraph Electromagnet POWER INFORMATION
NUCLEAR POWER NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Memory used for program and data
14 All residents of Princeton NJ
Daniel Chester French Statue of Joseph Henry Inventions at Princeton University
Horse-shoe Edison Electromagnet Phonograph
Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley Transistor
Townes, Schawlow Laser
15 Inventions
Edison Phonograph
Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley Transistor
Townes, Schawlow Laser
16 How society changed
Archival recordings of voice and music - as significant as photography
Miniature electronic devices; portable, rugged, fast, instant on
Optical storage of digital data; Optical transmission of data
17 Menlo Park, NJ West Orange, NJ
Murray Hill, NJ
New York, NY Murray Hill, NJ
18 One invention leads to another – carbon button microphone leads to the phonograph
19 One invention leads to another – carbon button microphone leads to the phonograph
20 One invention leads to another – carbon button microphone leads to the phonograph
21 One invention leads to another – carbon button microphone leads to the phonograph
Edison Transmitter – Compressing carbon grains reduces resistance which increase current – transforms sound undulations into current undulations. 22 Diaphragm
Pin to compress granules
Carbon granules
Edison Transmitter – Compressing Edison’s Patent carbon grains reduces resistance which Drawing of Carbon increase current – transforms sound Microphone undulations into current undulations. 23 Rotating Tin Foil Cylinder
Diaphragm
Pin to compress granules
Carbon granules Recorder Reproducer Sharp pin Blunt pin deforms the foil follows deformations
Edison’s Patent Edison’s Patent Drawing of Carbon Drawing of Phonograph Microphone 24 Industries Diaphragm Edison Pin to compress Electric Power granules Sarnoff and Armstrong Radio & TV Carbon granules J. P. Morgan and T. N. Vail Telegraph & Telephone
L. H. Baekeland Edison’s Patent Bakelite – first plastics Drawing of Carbon Microphone 25 Industries
Edison Electric Power
Sarnoff and Armstrong Radio & TV
J. P. Morgan and T. N. Vail Telegraph & Telephone
L. H. Baekeland Bakelite – first plastics
26 Industries
Edison Electric Power
Sarnoff and Armstrong Radio & TV
J. P. Morgan and T. N. Vail Telegraph & Telephone
L. H. Baekeland Bakelite – first plastics
27 Industries
Edison Electric Power
RCA Victor RCA Radio and Phonograph Color Television Sarnoff and Armstrong Radio & TV
J. P. Morgan and T. N. Vail Telegraph & Telephone
L. H. Baekeland Bakelite – first plastics
Alpine NJ – First FM Radio Tower 28 R & D Laboratories Industries
Edison Laboratories Edison Menlo Park, NJ Electric Power
RCA Laboratories Sarnoff and Armstrong NYC; West Windsor, NJ Radio & TV
Bell Laboratories J. P. Morgan and T. N. Vail NYC; Murray Hill, NJ Telegraph & Telephone
L. H. Baekeland Bakelite – first plastics
29 R & D Laboratories Manufacturing
Edison Laboratories Edison Lamp Works Menlo Park, NJ Harrison, NJ
RCA Laboratories RCA Vacuum Tubes NYC; West Windsor, NJ Harrison, NJ
Bell Laboratories Western Electric Company NYC; Murray Hill, NJ Kearny, NJ
General Bakelite Company Perth Amboy, NJ
30 Manufacturing
Second Grouping Edison Lamp Works Harrison, NJ • Capturing RCA Vacuum Tubes Harrison, NJ • Communicating • Computing Western Electric Company Kearny, NJ
General Bakelite Company Perth Amboy, NJ
31 Capturing
Second Grouping Edison – Phonograph - Sound Kinetoscope - Movies
• Capturing Jansky – Radio Astronomy • Communicating Penzias & Wilson – Big Bang
• Computing Boyle & Smith – CCD Digital Photography
32 Capturing
Edison – Phonograph - Sound Kinetoscope - Movies
Jansky – Radio Astronomy Penzias & Wilson – Big Bang
Boyle & Smith – CCD Digital Photography
33 34 35 filmed in Milltown NJ
36 filmed in Milltown NJ
37 38 SEM image of iPhone 4 CCD
CCD invented at Bell Labs (Murray Hill NJ) by Willard Boyle and George Smith 39 Communicating
Telegraph & Telephone Bell
Radio & TV RCA
Satellites Bell and RCA SEM image of iPhone 4 CCD J. R. Pierce
CCD invented at Bell Labs (Murray Hill NJ) by Willard Boyle and George Smith 40 Communicating
Telegraph & Telephone Bell
Radio & TV RCA
TIROS 1 – first weather satellite Satellites RCA Astro Labs in East Windsor, NJ Bell and RCA J. R. Pierce
41 ECHO 1 – first communications relay Bell Labs – Holmdel, NJ
TIROS 1 – first weather satellite RCA Astro Labs in East Windsor, NJ
TELSTAR – first television pictures and telephone calls Bell Labs – Murray Hill, NJ
42 Computing
Computer John von Neumann ECHO 1 – first communications relay Bell Labs – Holmdel, NJ UNIX Dennis Ritchie Ken Thompson
C Programming Language Dennis Ritchie TELSTAR – first television pictures and telephone calls Bell Labs – Murray Hill, NJ
43 Computing
Computer John von Neumann
UNIX Dennis Ritchie Ken Thompson
C Programming Language Dennis Ritchie Stamp issued in 1996 50th anniversary of ENIAC
44 Universities
Computer Princeton and Penn
Telegraph NYU
Radio & Laser Columbia
Stamp issued in 1996 50th anniversary of ENIAC
45 PEOPLE Nobel Prizes
Electromagnet Henry Relativity Einstein 1921 Computer Von Neumann Laser Townes, Schawlow 1964, 1981 Electric Lamp Edison Phonograph Edison Transistor Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley 1956 Satellite Pierce CCD Boyle, Smith 2009 UNIX & C Ritchie, Thompson Radio & TV Sarnoff, Armstrong Electric Power Edison Motion Picture Edison
Bakelite Baekeland 46 PLACES
Menlo Park Phonograph, Electric Light West Orange Motion Pictures, Later Phonograph Princeton Von Neumann Computer Harrison Lamps, Vacuum Tubes Kearny Telephone manufacturing West Windsor Color TV East Windsor Satellite design and construction Trenton Wire Rope for Brooklyn and GW Bridges Murray Hill Transistor, Laser, CCD, UNIX Holmdel Satellite, Radio Astronomy Morristown Telegraph tests NYC Central Station Electricity Philadelphia ENIAC Computer
Perth Amboy Bakelite 47 A few final observations and two questions ….
NJ technologies are transformational. They changed the way we live our lives.
NJ (and NYC and Philadelphia) nurtured many radical innovations (Radio, TV, Telephone, Electric Power, Transistor, Computer, Laser, Plastics). These objects and systems are the core of our modern INFORMATION AND POWER NETWORKS.
It is a great history of early stage radical innovation
Two Questions – “Why NJ?” and “Why not NJ?”
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