I met Art Schawlow when we both working on help for families with autistic processes. Mine was high functioning and his was institutionalized because of his violent behavior. A Nobel Prize will not compensate for a damaged child.
A minor nit, but one which keeps ahistorical narratives alive, the MOSFET did not become more important than the junction transistor until the 1980s. It was invented 100 years ago but languished unrecognized, independently re-invented in the 50s, but practical uses were mainly niche, running slowly at high voltage and cost. Even its use in microcomputers in the 1970s was still niche, as either NMOS or PMOS alone had dismal performance. Performance improved with clever circuits, but it did not really break through until CMOS LSI processes were practical, and those grandchildren of the original idea are the ones we see today. Those ideal switches were initially developed at IBM, ironically late to realize their essential importance in products.
In the 1960s referenced in the text MOS was essentially unknown outside labs.
Great article. It made me think about the human mind being an amplifier too. It can take seeds of an idea and amplify it into feats of achievement, like the many people did with their ingenious work on amplifiers.
By all accounts I have heard, Charles Townes was also an incredible teacher and generous human being. I wonder whether the early skepticism of his ideas didn't help him appreciate that good ideas often come wrapped in newspaper?
This feels like the psychological analogy to the sociological phenomena in Scotland after the Act of Union, which Anton Howes was writing about while Brian Potter was writing this story.
While important, and connected to the theme of the evolution of modern electronics, I don't think it matched the subject of the title: Negative-Feedback Amplifiers
I met Art Schawlow when we both working on help for families with autistic processes. Mine was high functioning and his was institutionalized because of his violent behavior. A Nobel Prize will not compensate for a damaged child.
A minor nit, but one which keeps ahistorical narratives alive, the MOSFET did not become more important than the junction transistor until the 1980s. It was invented 100 years ago but languished unrecognized, independently re-invented in the 50s, but practical uses were mainly niche, running slowly at high voltage and cost. Even its use in microcomputers in the 1970s was still niche, as either NMOS or PMOS alone had dismal performance. Performance improved with clever circuits, but it did not really break through until CMOS LSI processes were practical, and those grandchildren of the original idea are the ones we see today. Those ideal switches were initially developed at IBM, ironically late to realize their essential importance in products.
In the 1960s referenced in the text MOS was essentially unknown outside labs.
Yeah I should have been more clear with this, will fix!
Great article. It made me think about the human mind being an amplifier too. It can take seeds of an idea and amplify it into feats of achievement, like the many people did with their ingenious work on amplifiers.
A very nice writeup. Thank you!
By all accounts I have heard, Charles Townes was also an incredible teacher and generous human being. I wonder whether the early skepticism of his ideas didn't help him appreciate that good ideas often come wrapped in newspaper?
This feels like the psychological analogy to the sociological phenomena in Scotland after the Act of Union, which Anton Howes was writing about while Brian Potter was writing this story.
You didn't even mention Shannon who laid the groundwork for Information Theory.
While important, and connected to the theme of the evolution of modern electronics, I don't think it matched the subject of the title: Negative-Feedback Amplifiers