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Canadian Scientist awarded Nobel Prize for Physics with 2 others

by albertacowpoke | October 6, 2009 at 04:53 am

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Willard S. Boyle, a Canadian born scientist, will be sharing the Nobel Prize for Physics with two other scientist.

The scientists were instrumental in developing digital technology. They developed the CCD conductor transmission technology, which is used in digital cameras and telescopes.

Willard S. Boyle was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia and received a PhD in Physics at McGill University in Montreal. An interesting fact is that Boyle was homeschooled by his mother up to the ninth grade. Boyle holds dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship.

He shares the prize with two American scientists, George E. Smith and Charles Kao. Charles Kao holds dual U.K. and U.S. citizenship.

Boyle, who is married for 62 years, was on CBC Newsworld this morning. He was thrilled since the development of the CCD technology happened 40 years ago. He had not expected to get this award. He has a condo in Halifax. His major concern is education of children. He feels they should be instilled with the applications of science and mathematics. He met his wife at McGill after his return from Europe where he was a Spitfire Pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Willard S. Boyle will share the award with George E. Smith and Charles Kao for their "groundbreaking achievements" in physics, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday.

Boyle was born in Amherst, N.S., in 1924 and moved to Quebec with his family while still a child. He completed a PhD in physics at McGill University in Montreal in 1950 and taught physics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., before joining Bell Labs in New Jersey. He holds Canadian and American citizenships.

The other two scientists hold American citizenship. Kao also holds British citizenship.

The scientists' discoveries include the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication and the invention of the charge-coupled device (CCD sensor), which is an imaging semiconductor circuit used as a digital camera's electronic eye.