Dudley R. Herschbach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dudley R. Herschbach
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Herschbach in 2012
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Dudley Robert Herschbach
June 18, 1932 San Jose, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Stanford University (BS, MS) Harvard University (MA, PhD) |
| Known for | Molecular dynamics |
| Awards | ACS Award in Pure Chemistry (1965) Linus Pauling Medal (1978) RSC Michael Polanyi Medal (1981) Irving Langmuir Award (1983) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1986) National Medal of Science (1991) American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley Harvard University Freiburg University Texas A&M University |
| Doctoral advisor | Edgar Bright Wilson |
| Doctoral students | Richard N. Zare Seong Keun Kim Timothy Clark Germann |
Dudley Robert Herschbach (born June 18, 1932) is an American chemist who teaches at Harvard University. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986. He shared the prize with Yuan T. Lee and John C. Polanyi. They won for their work on how chemical reactions happen at a very tiny, molecular level.
Herschbach and Lee used special tools called "molecular beams." They did experiments where they crossed these beams. This helped them understand how atoms and molecules react with each other. Herschbach also helps guide the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
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Early Life and School
Dudley Herschbach was born in San Jose, California on June 18, 1932. He was the oldest of six children. He grew up in the countryside. He played American football at Campbell High School.
He got scholarships for both sports and academics to Stanford University. He chose the academic path. His first advisor, Harold S. Johnston, hired him for summer research. He also taught Herschbach about how fast chemical reactions happen. Herschbach earned degrees in mathematics and chemistry from Stanford.
Later, he went to Harvard University. He studied physics and chemical physics there. He earned his Ph.D. in 1958. At Harvard, he used special tools to study how molecules split.
Amazing Research Work
In 1959, Herschbach started teaching chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley. There, he and his students built a large machine. This machine helped them study how molecules react when they crash into each other.
Many scientists thought that molecules wouldn't crash in these "crossed molecular beams." But Herschbach showed they could! His early work looked at how potassium (K) reacted with methyl iodide (CH3I). This showed how a direct crash could make new products.
He then studied potassium reacting with bromine (Br2). They found that their tools needed to be cleaned very well. After fixing this, they saw a "stripping reaction." This is where one atom pulls an atom from another molecule as it passes by. This research helped connect how molecules are built to how they react.
In 1963, Herschbach returned to Harvard University. He kept working on molecular beam reactions. In 1967, Yuan T. Lee joined his lab. Together, they and their students built a powerful "supermachine." This machine helped them study even more complex reactions.
His most famous work was with Yuan T. Lee. They won the Nobel Prize for their "crossed molecular beam" experiments. By crossing beams of gas, they could see how energy moved around. This helped them understand how reactions happen. Their work helped create a whole new area of chemistry research. Herschbach also studied how the spin and movement of molecules affect reactions.
Throughout his career, Herschbach has written over 400 science papers. He has used his knowledge of chemistry and physics to solve many problems. For example, he studied how methane can form deep inside the Earth. This suggests that there might be more hydrocarbons (like natural gas) than we thought. This is because they might not all come from fossil fuels.
Science and Education
Herschbach loves to teach. He has taught advanced classes and basic chemistry for new college students. He said teaching the introductory course was his "most challenging assignment."
He strongly believes in teaching science to everyone. He often gives talks to students of all ages. He shares his excitement for science and discovery. He even lent his voice to The Simpsons TV show! In one episode, he presented the Nobel Prize in Physics to Professor Frink.
In 2010, Herschbach met with middle and high school students. This was part of the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Students could have lunch and talk with a Nobel Prize winner. He is also on the festival's advisory board. He has also taught at the Research Science Institute (RSI). This is a summer research program for high school students at MIT.
Even though he is a professor emeritus at Harvard, he still teaches. He joined Texas A&M University in 2005. He teaches there one semester a year. He and his wife, Georgene Herschbach, also used to be leaders at Currier House. This is a place where Harvard students live. They were very involved in student life.
Public Service
Dudley Herschbach is on the board of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. He also led the board for Society for Science & the Public for many years. He is a member of the Board of Sponsors for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In 2003, he was one of many Nobel winners who signed the Humanist Manifesto. This document shares ideas about human values and reason.
He is also an Eagle Scout. This is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He also received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
Awards and Honors
Herschbach is a member of several important groups. These include the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
Besides the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, he has won many other awards. These include the National Medal of Science and the Linus Pauling Medal. He also created the Herschbach Medal. This award honors great work in the field of molecular collision dynamics.
See also
In Spanish: Dudley Robert Herschbach para niños
