John Polanyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Polanyi
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Polanyi in 2019
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| Born |
John Charles Polanyi
23 January 1929 Berlin, Germany
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester |
| Known for | Chemical kinetics Reaction dynamics |
| Spouse(s) |
Anne Davidson
(m. 1958; died 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Toronto |
John Charles Polanyi is a famous Canadian chemist. He was born in Germany on January 23, 1929. In 1986, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This award was for his amazing work in chemical kinetics, which is about how chemical reactions happen.
Polanyi's family moved from Germany to the United Kingdom in 1933. He later studied at the University of Manchester. He also did advanced research in Canada and the United States. His first job as a professor was at the University of Toronto, where he still works today.
Besides the Nobel Prize, Polanyi has won many other awards. He has received 33 honorary degrees! He also cares a lot about public issues. He speaks out about science and nuclear weapons. His father, Michael Polanyi, was also a well-known chemist and thinker. His uncle, Karl Polanyi, was a famous economist.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Polanyi's family moved from Germany to Britain in 1933. This move was partly because Adolf Hitler was persecuting Jewish people. During World War II, when John was 11, his father sent him to Canada. This was to keep him safe from German bombings.
While in Toronto, he went to the University of Toronto Schools. After the war, he returned to Britain. He finished high school and went to the University of Manchester. He earned his first degree in 1949 and his PhD in 1952. Even though he studied science, he once thought about becoming a poet!
After his PhD, Polanyi did more research. He worked at the National Research Council in Ottawa from 1952 to 1954. Then, he was a research associate at Princeton University from 1954 to 1956.
Academic Career
John Polanyi began teaching at the University of Toronto in 1956. He quickly became a full professor by 1962. In 1975, he was given the special title of "University Professor." He has held this important title ever since.
Understanding Chemical Reactions
Polanyi's early studies focused on how strong chemical bonds are. He wanted to know how likely it was for atoms to react when they bumped into each other. For most of his career, Polanyi studied chemical dynamics. This means he tried to figure out exactly how chemical reactions work. He also looked at what happens to chemicals during a reaction.
At the National Research Council, Polanyi studied a theory about how reactions happen. He found that it wasn't perfect because we didn't know enough about the forces involved. Later, he used a method called spectroscopy. This helped him look at how molecules vibrate and spin.
When Polanyi moved to the University of Toronto, he made an exciting discovery. He and his students found out about chemiluminescence. This is the light that atoms or molecules give off when they are in an excited state. They first shared this discovery in 1958.
More recently, Polanyi's research has focused on nanotechnology. This is about building tiny devices from single atoms and molecules. His lab now uses special tools called scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs). These microscopes let him see chemical reactions happening at a very, very small scale. This is different from his earlier work, which used infrared light to watch reactions.
Public Involvement and Advocacy
Beyond his science, Polanyi has always cared about the world. He was interested in politics even as a student. In the 1950s, he started getting involved in public issues. He was especially concerned about nuclear weapons.
In 1960, he started Canada's Pugwash group. This is a global movement that works to reduce conflicts and solve world problems. Pugwash even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995! Polanyi also supports "pure" science, which means research done just to gain knowledge. He believes governments should support this kind of research.
He also supports the idea of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. This group wants to make the United Nations more democratic. Polanyi often gives talks about social justice, peace, and nuclear weapons. He also writes articles for newspapers about science and public policy.
Awards and Special Honours
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
John Polanyi won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared it with two other scientists, Dudley Herschbach and Yuan T. Lee. They were honored for their work on how chemical reactions happen. Polanyi's big contribution was developing a method called infrared chemiluminescence. This technique measures faint infrared light from new molecules. It helps scientists see how energy is released during a chemical reaction.
Winning the Nobel Prize changed things for Polanyi. He felt that people sometimes questioned his dedication to science afterward. He said, "There is a very reasonable suspicion that you are so busy doing the things that Nobel Prize winners do that you are actually only giving half your mind to science."
The Nobel Prize also led him to new research. He learned about scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) from the scientists who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics. This technology lets scientists see chemical reactions at the molecular level. Polanyi's lab now uses STMs for their research. His Nobel medal is on display at Massey College at the University of Toronto.
Other Recognitions
Polanyi has received many other important awards. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1971. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and later a Companion in 1979.
Some of his other awards include:
- The Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1982)
- The Royal Medal (1989)
- The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering (2007)
- The Faraday Lectureship Prize (2010)
He has also received many honorary degrees from universities around the world. He is a member of several important scientific groups, like the Royal Society of Canada and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In 2011, Canada Post even put his picture on a postage stamp! In 2022, he received the Andrei Sakharov Prize for his work promoting peace and human rights.
Lasting Impact
To celebrate Polanyi's Nobel Prize, the government of Ontario created the "John Charles Polanyi Prizes." These prizes give $20,000 to young researchers in Ontario. They are awarded in areas like Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine.
Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) also has a John C. Polanyi award. This award recognizes Canadian researchers whose work has made a big difference in science. The winner receives a $250,000 grant for their research.
Polanyi started publishing his scientific work in 1953. He has written over 250 scientific papers! He has also written more than 100 articles about public policy and peace. In 2010, a school in Toronto was renamed the John Polanyi Collegiate Institute in his honor.
Personal Life
John Polanyi was born in Berlin, Germany. His father, Michael, was born in Hungary and was a famous scientist. His uncle, Karl, was a well-known economist.
In 1958, Polanyi married Anne Ferrar Davidson. They had two children: a daughter named Margaret and a son named Michael. Margaret is a journalist, and Michael is a political scientist. Polanyi is now married to Brenda Bury, a portrait artist.
Outside of science, Polanyi enjoys art, literature, and poetry. He used to love white water canoeing. Now, he enjoys walking and skiing.
See also
In Spanish: John C. Polanyi para niños
- Chemical laser
- The Martians (scientists)
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
