A scientist by the name of John Goodenough has died at age 100, and if the name doesn't sound familiar, the device he played a crucial role in developing surely will: the lithium ion battery. Goodenough shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on the battery—becoming the oldest Nobel winner in history—and his "legacy as a brilliant scientist is immeasurable—his discoveries improved the lives of billions of people around the world," said a news release from the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked for years. Engadget sums up: He was "one of the most influential scientists in technology."
As the New York Times explains, Goodenough wasn't the sole inventor of the battery that now powers much of the modern world, but his "contribution is regarded as the crucial link in its development, a linchpin of chemistry, physics and engineering on a molecular scale." His particular breakthrough came in 1980 in a lab at Oxford University. And, no, Goodenough didn't get rich off his creation—he cared little for money, signed away his rights, and typically donated any award stipends to scholarships or further research, notes the Times. He lived only on the salary he earned while working at MIT, Oxford, or the University of Texas.
While at MIT, where he worked for 24 years, Goodenough helped develop random-access memory for computers, notes the BBC. But he remains best known for the battery. When the BBC asked him in 2016 what it was like to have helped create such a world-changing device, he responded that he "doesn't think about it too much." He said he was "very gratified that I've provided something for the people of this world," joking that he didn't own a smart phone because he didn't like to be "bothered." (More obituary stories.)
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