Bernard Budiansky facts for kids

Bernard Budiansky (born March 8, 1925 – died January 23, 1999) was a brilliant scientist. He was an expert in a field called applied mechanics. This field studies how things move and how materials behave. He made very important discoveries about how structures work. He also helped us understand how strong different materials are. He even won a special award called the Timoshenko Medal.

About Bernard Budiansky

Bernard Budiansky was born in New York City on March 8, 1925. His parents, Louis and Rose Budiansky, were immigrants from Russia.

Early Life and Education

Bernard was very smart from a young age. He earned his first degree in Civil Engineering in 1944. He was just 19 years old at the time. He got this degree from the City College of New York.

After college, he started working as a research scientist. He worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). This was a government agency that later became NASA. He worked at Langley Field in Virginia.

In 1947, Bernard took a break from work to study more. He went to Brown University to get his Ph.D. He studied Applied Mathematics. He finished his Ph.D. in 1950. His special project was about how materials change shape under stress.

Career and Discoveries

After getting his Ph.D., Bernard went back to NACA. In 1952, he became the head of the Structural Mechanics Branch. This meant he led a team studying how structures are built and how they hold up.

In 1955, he joined the teachers at Harvard. He continued his important research there.

Understanding Materials and Structures

Bernard Budiansky made many important contributions. He studied how cracks and joints in rocks affect earthquake waves. His work helps scientists understand what rocks are made of deep inside the Earth.

He also helped us understand how the human lung stretches and changes shape when we breathe.

Pioneering Micromechanics

In his later years, Bernard focused on materials science. This field looks at the properties of materials. He wanted to explain why solids behave the way they do. He looked at tiny, microscopic parts of materials.

He called this important area "micromechanics". He was one of the first scientists to study it. His work helped explain why some metals break easily. It also showed how to make strong materials like ceramics and composite materials tougher.

Awards and Recognition

Bernard Budiansky received many honors for his work. He was given the Eringen Medal in 1985. He also received honorary doctorates from Northwestern University and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

He was a member of several important groups, including the National Academy of Sciences. This shows how respected he was by other scientists.

Bernard Budiansky passed away on January 23, 1999, in Lexington, Massachusetts. He was 73 years old.