The world's oldest Nobel laureate develops ultra-cheap and clean energy technology

Arthur Ashkin, the oldest man ever received a Nobel Prize, wore a simple, comfortable outfit, not different from other elderly men. What prominently features are the thoughts flowing through the silver head, the thoughts of a brilliant physicist.

This year he is 96 years old, but his journey has not reached the goal: he spent most of his time in the basement, experimenting with new ones. It turns the entire basement into a laboratory, concentrating on developing solar absorbers.

"I'm making cheap electricity , " said Arthur Ashkin.

It turns the entire basement into a laboratory, concentrating on developing solar absorbers.

His new invention takes advantage of geometry to capture and bring light into a narrow path. This job requires reflective tubes that can increase the light intensity, which will allow current solar cell technology to be more efficient or even replace the existing solar battery, with one technology is cheaper and much simpler.

"Cheap as earth" reflectors, Ashkin excitedly presented to reporter Business Insider, said that low prices would be a key factor to allow them to "save the world". The confident tool will win the second Nobel Prize in his life with the new invention.

Just last year, he won the first Nobel Prize with the development of an "optical tweezers" - a powerful laser that can handle very small things. It can hold and stretch a strand of DNA, allowing us to delve deeper into the structure that makes life.

Ashkin's technology has been applied to biology, nanotechnology, spectroscopy and more. The optical tweezers have helped researchers successfully develop a blood test for malaria, better understanding how cholesterol-lowering drugs work.

When Ashkin received a call from the Royal Swedish Academy announcing the Nobel Prize, he thought it was a trick.

Arthur received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018.

Thinking so because Stephen Chu, another scientist, received the Nobel Prize in 1997 for some related research that Mr. Zhou did at Bell Laboratories - where Ashkin studied and developed optical tweezers. .

Mr. Zhou's research is based on the built Ashkin tool: taking the floating scum on the lake surface, lifting a micro-living creature with light. According to Ashkin's description, it was no different from using a single laser to make a "flying" bacterium .

"This lamp is shining on you, but do you know that it is pushing you?", Ashkin asked the reporter Business Insider. "Most people don't know the truth. But that's true, because the light has the energy. Something is too small, I can't feel it."

Specifically Ashkin began to study light, the original purpose was to improve Graham Bell's existing communication technology."Light is a wave, right? In physics, light is also a particle . a mysterious particle."

When Ashkin discovered that photon of light created pressure, could lift very small objects, he focused on applying light to biology, experimenting using optical tweezers to grasp and lift down and down, stretch small things like DNA. Bell Lab facilitated Ashkin to use optical tweezers on living organisms, and he discovered how to hold a single-celled organism with light alone.

Arthur Ashkin is working with lasers in Bell Laboratories in 1970.

"You can pick it up in the same way as using a regular tweezers," said Bell Laboratories president Marcus Weldon. "Mr. Ashkin can take the nucleus from one place to another, optical tweezers are very useful."

Ashkin's colleague at Bell Laboratories was incredibly surprised with the ability of an optical tweezers. When he saw that he could use light to catch small creatures, he shouted and went to show off everywhere.

"It makes both me and everyone else different. I have created a way to fly with light," recalled Ashkin.

But he did not fall asleep in his achievements. Even knowing the Nobel prize call was real, he was only happy in humility: the tweezers of light were noticed, meaning his new scientific study would be published soon.

When Ashkin retired in 1992, Bell Laboratories commissioned him to complete the research equipment to bring him back. Keep all the stuff, just from the powerful laser system - the most important thing in all the furniture. He recalled that the laser system was so powerful, the house was not enough electricity to operate it.

Under the basement, Mr. Ashkin stooped with a pile of research supplies. Adhesive tape, reflective paper filled with desks and on the ground. He personally made many experimental reflectors to optimize the equipment he invented, in fact, he did so much to the extent that the car garage was almost filled with pipes, the car of the family had to work hard. between the inventing tools Ashkin created.

He has applied for a patent for his latest product, but still, he has not been able to show a photo or sample product to reporters. They are not ready to be known by the world. He confirmed that he would soon publish the study in the Science journal Science, then the public would know.

He was confident that once the design was completed, the new technology would spread to the whole world, from his small basement in New Jersey to farther places. It will provide cheap, clean renewable energy for anyone who wants it.

"Unbelievable genius minds," said laboratory director Weldon. "It is clear that Ashkin is still on the process of solving humanity's big problem, even though he has pocketed a Nobel prize. I really love those efforts."

Ashkin grew up in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, growing up with milk when there was no food around. He missed his family owning only one book: The Book of Knowledge: The Children's Encyclopedia - The Book of Knowledge: The Encyclopedia for Children. It was Ashkin's first step on the path of scientific discovery.

He is confident that once the design is completed, the new technology will spread to the whole world.

Young Ashkin devoured every page of the book, particularly interested in the character "Wonder Why".

"Wonder Why will ask 'why is it so blue'," recalled Ashkin. "Then the character will answer that question. I'm interested in every piece, I want to know how things work in the world . that's the first time I'm exposed to science."

Perhaps it was his curiosity that gave him a Ph.D. at Cornell University. There, Arthur met his love life: Aline. The two have lived together for 64 years.

"I'm shy, but I still know that this is a special woman," recalled Ashkin. "I gathered enough courage to ask for that girl number." Mr. Ashkin added that he did not have to study any chemistry, because his wife could teach anything related to chemistry.

"I married her because she was so smart!", Ashkin said, and the other half of his sister thought so.

"I was surprised because at the age of 96, he was still very passionate about science and brilliant intelligence," Aline said, adding a little bit of information about family life, "sometimes he was a bit eccentric. ". Ashkin nodded in acknowledgment.

Mr. Ashkin is looking forward to the ripe time to announce a new invention with the world. Likewise, everyone wants to know that the 96-year-old old man makes something "human change" , and wonders if he will get a Nobel Prize again.