ACE Magazine

Inventions
By I'mACE

Australia:
University of Sydney:

Invention: Wi-Fi

Year: 1996

Inventor: Dr. John O’Sullivan

Alumnus: University of Sydney

Study History:

1974 Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical Engineering), Sydney University
1969 Bachelor of Engineering, H1, University Medal, Sydney University
1967 Bachelor of Science, Sydney University

Impact:

Revolutionised global communication by allowing wireless internet access.
Made the wireless LAN as fast and powerful as the cabled solutions of the time, and is the basis for the wireless networking technology (Wi-Fi) now used in billions of devices worldwide.
Generated hundreds of millions of $ in royalties from 12 patents.

University of Melbourne:

Invention: Bionic ear

Year: 1978

Inventor: Professor Graeme Clark

Alumnus: University of Sydney and University of Melbourne

Study History:

2000-2004 Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne
1970-2003 Foundation Professor and Chairman in the Department of Otolaryngology, University of Melbourne
1969 Awarded PhD, University of Sydney
1968 Awarded Master of Surgery, University of Sydney

Impact:

Allowed 55,000 deaf people in 120 countries to hear for the first time.
Australia now supplies two thirds of the global market for bionic ears.

Nobel Laureates:

Australia has produced 13 Nobel Laureates – 11 of them were in STEM subjects:

Brian Schmidt – Physics 2011
Elizabeth H. Blackburn – Physiology or Medicine 2009
J Robin Warren – Medicine 2005
Barry J Marshall – Medicine 2005
Peter Charles Doherty – Physiology or Medicine 1996
John Warcup Cornforth – Chemistry 1975
Bernard Katz – Physiology or Medicine 1970
Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov – Physics 1964
John Carew Eccles – Medicine 1963
Frank Macfarlane Burnet – Medicine 1960
Howard Florey – Physiology or Medicine 1945
William Henry Bragg – Physics 1915
William Lawrence Bragg – Physics 1915

Canada:
University of Waterloo:

Invention: Blackberry

Year: 1999

Inventor: Mike Lazaridis

Alumnus: University of Waterloo

Study History:

1999 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Waterloo
1979 – 1984 Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, University of Waterloo (deferred)

Impact:

Jump-started the smartphone market.
Made cellphones indispensable to the business world by giving instant, always-on access to emails.
Combination of leading-edge technology and an excellent keyboard allowed Blackberry to dominate the smartphone sector.

University of Calgary:

Invention: Java programming language

Year: 1994

Inventor: James Arthur Gosling

Alumnus: University of Calgary

Study History:

2013 Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
1983 Doctorate in Computer Science, Carnegie Melton University
1977 Bachelor of Science Computer Science, University of Calgary

Impact:

Provides extended functionality to web pages.
Rich mobile experiences for users of phones, tablets and devices
Google, Apple and Microsoft have thrown significant muscle behind JavaScript development.

Nobel Laureates:
Canada has produced 23 Nobel Laureates – 16 of them were in STEM subjects:

Ralph Steinman – Medicine 2011
Willard S. Boyle – Physics 2009
Jack W. Szostak – Physiology or Medicine 2009
Bertram N. Brockhouse – Physics 1994
Michael Smith – Chemistry 1993
Rudolph A. Marcus – Chemistry 1992
Richard E. Taylor – Physics 1990
Sidney Altman – Chemistry 1989
John c. Polanyi – Chemistry 1986
Henry Taube – Chemistry 1983
David H. Hubel – Medicine 1981
Gerhard Herzberg – Chemistry 1971
Charles Brenton Huggins – Medicine 1966
William F. Giauque – Chemistry 1949
Frederick Grant Banting – Medicine 1923
Ernest Rutherford – Chemistry 1908

New Zealand:
Victoria University of Wellington:

Invention: Conductive Polymers

Year: 1977

Inventor: Doctor Alan Graham MacDonald

Alumnus: Victoria University of Wellington

Study History:

1955 Doctor of Chemistry, Cambridge University
1951 Doctor of Science in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison
1949 Master of Science in Chemistry, Victoria University of Wellington
1947 Bachelor of Science, Victoria University of Wellington

Awards

2000 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Impact:

Used for anti-static substances for photographic film and “smart” windows to exclude sunlight.
Applied in light-emitting diodes, solar cells and displays in mobile telephones.

University of Otago:

Invention: Jetpack

Year: 2008

Inventor: Glenn Martin

Alumnus: University of Otago

Study History:

1982 Bachelor of Science with Honours

Impact:

Military applications.
First responder in emergencies.
Police search and rescue missions.

Nobel Laureates:

New Zealand has produced 3 Nobel Laureates – All of them were in STEM subjects:

Alan MacDiarmid – Chemistry 2000
Maurice Wilkins – Physiology or Medicine 1962
Ernest Rutherford – Chemistry 1908

United Kingdom:
University of Aberdeen:

Invention: Insulin*

Year: 1923

Inventor: John James Rickard Macleod

Alumnus: University of Aberdeen

Study History:

1898 Medical Degree with Honours
1898 Anderson Travelling Fellowship
1902 McKinnon Research Studentship of the Royal Society

Awards:

1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Impact:

Saved millions of lives.
Diabetics have longer more enjoyable lives.
Global market value of $24 billion.

* Insulin was jointly discovered by John J. R. Macleod and Frederick Banting

University of Hull:

Invention: Liquid Crystals

Year: 1973

Inventor: Professor George William Gray

Alumnus: University of Glasgow

Study History:

1953 Doctor of Liquid Crystals , University of Hull
1946 Bachelor of Science, University of Glasgow

Awards

1995 Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology

Impact:

LCDs have changed the way people interact with each other and the world
Uptake of the technology is widespread
Multi-billion dollar global industry

Nobel Laureates:

The United Kingdom has produced 115 Nobel Laureates – 84 of them were in STEM subjects. Following are the most recent:

John O'Keefe – Physiology or Medicine 2014
Michael Levitt – Chemistry, 2013
Peter Higgs – Physics 2013
John B. Gurdon – Physiology or Medicine 2012
Konstantin Novoselov – Physics 2010
Robert G. Edwards – Physiology or Medicine 2010
Sir Martin J. Evans – Physiology or Medicine 2007
Oliver Smithies – Physiology or Medicine 2007
Anthony J. Leggett – Physics 2003
Peter Mansfield – Physiology or Medicine 2003
Sydney Brenner – Physiology or Medicine 2002
John E. Sulston – Physiology or Medicine 2002
Tim Hunt – Physiology or Medicine 2001
Paul Nurse – Physiology or Medicine 2001
John Pople – Chemistry 1998

The United States:
University of Arkansas:

Invention: Fibre-optic wire*

Year: 1994

Inventor: Robert D. Maurer

Alumnus: University of Arkansas

Study History:

1951 Doctor of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1948 Bachelor of Science, University of Arkansas

Impact:

Optical fibre is the foundation for the global, multimedia telecommunications network.
High bandwidth moved over long distances faster.
Used in many industries such as utilities, military and aerospace, private data networks, biomedical, and cable television.
Market value worth billions.

*Jointly developed with Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz

Carnegie Mellon University:

Invention: Kevlar

Year: 1964

Inventor: Stephanie Louise Kwolek

Alumnus: Carnegie Mellon University

Study History:

1946 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Carnegie Institute of Technology

Impact:

Has saved the lives of many soldiers wearing Kevlar bullet-proof jackets.
Used in more than 200 applications, including tennis rackets, skis, boats, airplanes, ropes, cables and tyres.
Kevlar is a multi-billion dollar industry.