William Shockley (1910–89) was an American physicist and inventor who played a pivotal role in developing the transistor. This revolutionary device transformed the field of electronics.
Born in London, England, Shockley immigrated to the United States at a young age. He pursued his studies in physics at the California Institute of Technology (B.S., 1932) and later at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD, 1936.) Subsequently, Shockley joined Bell Laboratories in 1936 and contributed to significant research efforts during World War II, directing anti-submarine warfare studies and serving as a consultant to the Secretary for War in 1945.
After the war, Shockley returned to Bell Laboratories, where he collaborated with John Bardeen and Walter Brattain. Together, they co-invented the transistor in 1947, a remarkable achievement that earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956. Shockley’s groundbreaking work laid the foundation for advancing modern electronic technology, paving the way for the information age. He authored Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors (1950.)
Shockley’s later years were marred by controversy due to his views on race and intelligence. He espoused the concept of genetic determinism, which linked race to intellectual capabilities. These controversial beliefs tarnished his reputation and overshadowed his significant scientific accomplishments.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Shockley
If you take a bale of hay and tie it to the tail of a mule and then strike a match and set the bale of hay on fire, and if you then compare the energy expended shortly thereafter by the mule with the energy expended by yourself in the striking of the match, you will understand the concept of amplification.
—William Shockley
Topics: Technology
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