Jewish Physicist Becomes Oldest Person To Win Nobel Prize
Arthur Ashkin was a recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. Image by YouTube
A Jewish physicist is one of three scientists awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of revolutionary laser tools, the Guardian reported.
In 1986, Arthur Ashkin invented “optical tweezers,” a tractor beam-like technology that grabs viruses, bacteria and other living cells with finger-like lasers. Now, at 96, he’s the oldest person to be named a laureate for any of the Nobel awards, according to The Times of Israel.
The inventions created by Ashkin and his co-honorees Gérard Mourou of France and Donna Strickland of Canada have paved the way for more advanced tools used for corrective eye surgery, The Times reported.
Ashkin won half of the nine million Swedish kronor (about $1 million) prize, with Mourou and Strickland sharing the other half.
BREAKING NEWS⁰The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the #NobelPrize in Physics 2018 “for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics” with one half to Arthur Ashkin and the other half jointly to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland. pic.twitter.com/PK08SnUslK
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 2, 2018
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
