a buckyball discoverer dies

[Algorem]

Richard Smalley, Nobel Laureate who helped discover a new form of carbon, dies at 62

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1130605141202530.xml&storylist=cleveland

10/29/2005, 12:52 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, a Rice University professor who helped discover buckyballs, the soccer ball-shaped form of carbon, and championed the field of nanotechnology, has died at the age of 62.

The Akron, Ohio native, who had battled cancer, died Friday at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University said.

"We will miss Rick's brilliance, commitment, energy, enthusiasm and humanity," Rice President David Leebron said.

He shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry with fellow Rice chemist Robert Curl and British chemist Sir Harold Kroto for the discovery of the new form of carbon, which they dubbed buckminsterfullerene — buckyballs for short — because of its resemblance to the geodesic domes designed by Buckminster Fuller...


http://www.nano.gov

http://www.nanotech-now.com/nanotube-buckyball-sites.htm

[melody]

1. Strom Thurmond lives to be 100, Rick Smalley doesn't even make 65

That nails it - there ain't no justice.

RIP, Uncle Buckyballs.

[benburch]

2. Only the good die young.

And Strom, well, about as far from good as it is possible to get.

[freethought]

3. Gone before potential was reached.

The Fullerene derived technologies have the potential to do some great things when developed. Prof. Smalley potentially could have seen it happen. How sad.
If there is a heaven, I have the feeling Prof. Smalley has a better chance of getting past the pearly gates than Strom Thurmond ever did.
And I am a secularist.

Rest in peace, good sir.


:-( :-( :-(