At 97 years old, Professor John B. Goodenough is still filling the world with energy. Along with his two colleagues, he pioneered the lithium-ion battery in the 1970’s. These are currently used in rechargeable devices like laptops and cellphones. This life-changing innovation made the German-born engineering professor officially the oldest person to win the Nobel Prize.
Dallas News describes this extraordinary man. The Nobel Foundation even claims Goodenough and his colleagues have brought an immeasurable benefit to human-kind. They have paved the way to a potential wireless and fossil-fuel free society. Furthermore, just two years ago, Goodenough identified a new, safe material for use in sodium-ion batteries, which are very powerful. He and his colleagues were awarded $981,000 for the Nobel Prize. Amazingly, they plan to give much of it back to support ongoing research.
Despite the many honorable awards Goodenough has won in his long lifetime, he states his proudest accomplishments are his friendships. Therefore, he is very glad his contributions to the wireless revolution has brought people closer. “We need to build relationships… We will indeed be happy if people use this for good and not for evil”, he says.
And even at his advanced age, he hopes the university keeps him employed. Because he’s not ready to stop working. This outstanding teacher, mentor, and researcher proves that age is simply just a number. As he clearly states, “Live to 97 and you can do anything”.