Michele Parrinello facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michele Parrinello
Born	(1945-09-07) 7 September 1945 (age 80) Messina, Italy
Awards	Fellow of the Royal Society EPS Europhysics Prize (1990) Dirac Prize (2009) Sidney Fernbach Award (2009) Marcel Benoist Prize (2011) Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences (2017) Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) (2021) European Chemistry Gold Medal (2020)

Michele Parrinello, born on September 7, 1945, is a brilliant Italian scientist. He is famous for his work in a field called molecular dynamics. This is like using computers to create movies of how tiny atoms and molecules move around.

He and another scientist, Roberto Car, developed a very important way to study these movements. It's called the Car–Parrinello method. This method helps scientists understand how materials behave at a very small level. For their amazing work, they have received many awards, including the Dirac Medal and the Benjamin Franklin Medal.

Michele Parrinello's Life and Career

Michele Parrinello was born in Messina, a city in Sicily, Italy. He earned his degree in physics from the University of Bologna in 1968. After finishing his studies, he worked at several important research places around the world.

He worked at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory in Switzerland. He also spent time at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Germany. In 2001, he became a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. He also teaches at the Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano.

Awards and Recognition

Michele Parrinello has received many honors for his scientific discoveries. In 2004, he became a member of Great Britain's Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists. In 2010, he joined the National Academy of Sciences as an international member.

He was awarded the Marcel Benoist Prize in 2011. In 2020, he received the Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) in Chemistry. This award recognizes great achievements in science.

As of 2024, Michele Parrinello's work has been cited by other scientists over 150,000 times. This means his research is very important and widely used by others in the science community. He is one of the most highly cited scientists in the world.

Even at 78 years old in 2023, he was still actively guiding young scientists. He had six PhD students working in his research group.

Key Scientific Discoveries

Michele Parrinello is known for several important contributions to science. These discoveries have helped other scientists understand materials better.

• Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics: This is the method he developed with Roberto Car. It helps scientists use computers to simulate how atoms and molecules move. The original paper about this method is one of the most cited papers in a famous science journal called Physical Review Letters.
• Parrinello–Rahman algorithm: This is another important method he helped create. It helps scientists study how materials change their shape and structure under different conditions.
• Flying ice cube: This is a concept related to how energy is shared in computer simulations. It helps make sure the simulations are accurate.
• Metadynamics: This is a special computer simulation technique. It helps scientists explore complex changes in materials, like how proteins fold.
• Machine learning potential: This involves using artificial intelligence to make molecular simulations faster and more accurate.