As a young man, Gabor Somorjai couldn't have known he would one day be
forced to flee his native Hungary. But upheaval in Europe during and
after World War II led him to the U.S. where he immersed himself in
science and soon began building a research group at one of the
powerhouses of scientific discovery. The timing couldn't have been
better. The Sputnik wakeup call that triggered the huge influx of
government support for scientific research in the second half of the
20th century bolstered fundamental research programs like the one
Somorjai established at the University of California, Berkeley, and
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Key discoveries in his
field-surface science-led the way to advances in catalysis know-how that
underpin today's energy storage and transformation technology and
safeguard the environment. By revealing the unique ways microscopically
thin layers of atoms and molecules control the chemistry and physics of
surfaces, modern surface science also spawned rapid development in
microelectronics, high-power computing, and communication and
information technology. But the scientific impact of the field that
Professor Somorjai shaped doesn't end there. Key discoveries in surface
science also supported the development of new medical instruments for
non-invasive investigation of the human body, as well as tools and
techniques for repairing organs and bones. These discoveries have helped
increase our life expectancy and vastly improved our quality of life.
Through a fascinating account of his life story, Gabor Somorjai leads us
through the dramatic changes in science and technology that took hold
during the last half century and are sure to influence our lives in the
years to come.
