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John Goodenough has died
- zafka 3y agoI agree with the previous suggestion of a HN black ribbon.
- M3L0NM4N 3y agoRest in peace, and Hook 'em.
- toomuchtodo 3y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Goodenough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Goodenough
- taejavu 3y agoDang, wasn't he working on solid state batteries?
- h0l0cube 3y agoHN discussion: 94-year-old Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Introduces Solid State Battery (2017, 1168pts) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13778543 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13778543
- moffkalast 3y agoInventing a 94 year old battery is definitely more impressive than inventing a 0 year old one like people usually do. ;)
- Am4TIfIsER0ppos 3y agoIt is created with 94 years of wear like those deliberately damaged jeans.
- saltcured 3y agoImagine the desk where he neglected his paperwork for so long...
- NovaDudely 3y agoIt cannot be understated just how much his invention changed the world. Li-ion batteries were the key that allowed us to have truly portable devices that had decent battery life and light weight. It also broke us away from things like Discmans powered by disposable AA batteries. From Laptops, the smart phones and nowadays bikes, cars and trucks - the amount of change that it has brought is astounding. Anyone old enough to have used devices before Li-ion can remember the weird oddities you would have of inconsistent power and odd charging properties. However, from a hyper environmentalist position, this invention unfortunately ended up fueling all manners of wars through the specific material requirements, cobalt being the prime example, it also sort of helped kick off the idea of devices that could be almost disposable (non-replaceable batteries) but these are all secondary flow on impacts of Goodenough's core invention. More a lesson that even things intended to be good can have weird unintended consequences in a chaotic world. It was never his intent to do so it just worked out that way. The John was the living personification of the scientific inventor should be admired, we need more like him and here is hoping that the future will continue in that endeavour of progress.
- epistasis 3y agoCompared to all other basic materials we use in our life, lithium is pretty mundane. No war has been faught over cobalt. It's a byproduct of other mining, and quickly being phased out for cheaper less controversial materials. Lithium mining gets a bad rap not because it's particularly environmentally devastating, but because of political narratives that try to prevent technological change. Lithium is really a mundane material. You never hear people complaining about potash mining or other similar salt extraction, lithium is just targeted because of the industries that it upsets, which are in turn orders of magnitude more damaging. Which isn't to say that we shouldn't make it as environmentally friendly as possible. I'm just saying that if you fill up a tank of gas, you have a hell of a lot more to answer for when it comes to environmental karma than if you fill an equivalent lithium battery.
- defrost 3y agoFor anyone that would like to go to primary sources for this: Australia has one of the biggest lithium reserves and is the biggest producer of lithium by weight, with most of its production coming from mines in Western Australia. Most Australian lithium is produced from hard-rock spodumene, in contrast to other major producers like Argentina, Chile and China, which produce it mainly from salt lakes. [1] World’s ten largest lithium mines in 2020 [2] Having established that much of the world's lithium is sourced from my state here in Western Australia, these are the local environmental concerns raised [3] (1997) wrt Greenbushes [4] and the local EPA recommendations wrt Greenbushes expansion (2019) [5]. As a state we like clean air, clean beaches, native forrests, traditional ownership | stewardship, protecting the flora and fauna, and making sure mines are cleaned up afterwards. Currently Greenbushes mine is a bloody great hole in the ground, of which we have many, in the near future it will be a large lake surrounded by regrowth. Conditions in Argentina, Chile and China are left as an exercise for the reader .. there is also the matter of processing concentrates which is typically dirtier than mining to export concentrates. Processing can be very polluting, it can also be closely watched and contained with plant wide pads under layed with membranes that are regulalry monitored, inspected, fined for breach, etc. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_mining_in_Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_mining_in_Australia [2] https://www.mining-technology.com/marketdata/ten-largest-lithiums-mines-2020-2/ https://www.mining-technology.com/marketdata/ten-largest-lit... [3] https://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/documents/Cargill.html https://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/documents/Cargill.html [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbushes_mine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbushes_mine [5] https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/expansion-greenbushes-lithium-mine-recommended-environmental-approval https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/expansion-greenbu...
- sbeaks 3y agoHis 36,500 charge cycles is pretty impressive as well.
- mkl 3y agoWhat battery gets that many? Your comment is the only DDG hit for ["36,500 charge cycles"], and is the only relevant Google hit for ["36,500" "goodenough"].
- tiagod 3y agoHe lived for 100 years. 365 * 100 = 36500
- mkl 3y agoI got that it was 365 * 100, but there aren't any batteries that last that long and I'm apparently too literal.
- stavros 3y agoAlso presumably he had more charge cycles than that, as I doubt he only had one meal a day. I won't stop until this joke is dead as a doornail.
- bmicraft 3y agoI took it to mean sleeping, that wou make it close to the number
- lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 3y agoGiven that he was just a month shy of 101, it still ought to be (with leap years) 365 * 101 + 25 - 30.
- aembleton 3y ago25 of those years were leap years, so its 36525
- vijaybritto 3y agoYou were good enough John. RIP
- jacquesm 3y agoAh that's too bad. He was still working on something that he thought might be the next breakthrough in battery technology, and given his reputation I am completely willing to believe him. I doubt his shoes will ever be filled. A true inventor.
- sgt 3y agoBlack ribbon I think, dang?
- jacquesm 3y agoYes, probably. There isn't a person on HN that isn't using products that have one or more of his inventions embedded in it. Even if none of them are software or software related.
- rvz 3y agoHe should indeed get one. RIP.
- aaronax 3y agoTo save anyone the few minutes it took me to figure out what this means: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14120362 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14120362 A black bar (mourning band) is sometimes added to the top of HN when an industry figure dies.
- AndrewOMartin 3y agoI struggle to find a definitive source, but I think John Goodenough is also credited with the invention of the try/catch block in programming.
- jacquesm 3y agoI somewhat doubt that, though he was involved in some of the materials science behind RAM memory. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1449951/what-language-was-the-first-to-implement-exception-handling https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1449951/what-language-wa...
- 1-6 3y agotry/catch, the ultimate goodenough ending.
- mkl 3y agoYou're probably thinking of the two papers referenced here, "The first papers on structured exception handling": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_handling#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_handling#History These came well after exception handling was first developed, but are by a John B Goodenough. However, I think it's a different John B Goodenough: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/about/leadership/display.cfm?customel_datapageid_2623=3002 https://www.sei.cmu.edu/about/leadership/display.cfm?custome...
- PurpleRamen 3y agoThis is really strange. How are there two people with the same rare surname who make history, and have not just the same first name, but even the same middle letter? I'm curious if that family name is so rare that they are actually related, and whether it's some custom in that family to name the kids that way.
- isleyaardvark 3y agoWe're in the Buckaroo Banzai dimension.
- dtx1 3y agoTruly a sad day. His Batteries changed the world perhaps as much as nuclear tech did. Rest in Peace Mr. Goodenough. Your inventions will outlive you and perhaps play a crucial part in keeping earth habitable for us. Truly a life well lived.
- 1-6 3y agoI wonder how he got his last name. As a perfectionist, I would love to have a last name like that.
- askvictor 3y agoI have a colleague who's surname is Toogood.
- PurpleRamen 3y agoYou mean his family name? He was born with it. Seems to be a legit old name from UK.
- choeger 3y agoYeah, apparently, they migrated to the US after a generation-spanning feud with a neighboring clan, called Perfect.
- selimthegrim 3y agoWas it triggered by…a murder in Bombay?
- maksimur 3y agoAccording to familysearch.org it was either - bestowed on one who was easily satisfied - in reference to one whose achievements were average, "good enough" though not outstanding - a nickname meaning "good lad" or "good servant"
- Jagat 3y agoThe last name "Goodenough" is of English origin. It is an occupational surname derived from the Middle English term "godenough," which means "good enough" or "satisfactory." The name likely originated as a nickname or a description for someone who was deemed competent, capable, or satisfactory in their profession or tasks. In some cases, the surname may have also been a locational name, referring to someone who resided in a place called Goodenough or a similar variant. However, this is less common compared to the occupational origin. Like many surnames, the spelling and pronunciation of "Goodenough" may have varied over time and across different regions. Variations of the name can be found, such as Goodenow or Goodenowes. It's worth noting that surnames have complex and diverse origins, and multiple factors can contribute to the development of a particular surname. Different branches of a family may have different origins or variations of the name, so it's always recommended to research the specific family history to obtain more accurate information.
- JC770 3y agoGod bless him
- swah 3y agoOT: I thought this was an article related to OceanGate and how, due to the Titan event, the population could become more vocal against hacks and shortcuts.
- jraph 3y agoThis website asks me to enable JavaScript and cookies, here's a link that works. https://web.archive.org/web/20230626074746/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/goodenough-nobel-laureate-who-gave-the-world-li-ion-batteries-passes-away/article67010369.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20230626074746/https://www.thehi... (Almost) 101 is impressive!
- rvz 3y agoA magnificent invention from a brilliant mind and lived long enough to see his invention and contribution(s) really change the world. Thank you Dr. Goodenough, RIP.
- ninesnines 3y agoCute interview when he one the Nobel prize; he seemed like such a motivated happy scientist and really was an inspiration. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CkIKRoTFogU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CkIKRoTFogU
- msephton 3y agoGonna charge my phone to say thanks.
- Mizoguchi 3y agoWe will be paying him tribute every time we unplug our chargers half way.
- Projectiboga 3y agoHere is a slightly longer previous article. He had dyslexia, and other major scientific contributions. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-tech/goodenough-the-man-who-powered-the-lithium-battery-revolution/article65621158.ece https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-tech/goodenoug... Dr Goodenough was far beyond his name.
- NoMoreNicksLeft 3y agoOne wonders what he might have accomplished if his name had been John Notgoodenough.
- dbcooper 3y agoThe biggest F. So much positive impact on the world.
- johnsonjo 3y agoFor anyone not getting what this comment means by "The biggest F." this article on wiki explains it as: > "Press F to pay respects" or "Press X to pay respects" is an Internet meme that originated from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, a 2014 first-person shooter in Activision's Call of Duty franchise. It originated as a set of instructions conveyed during an in-game quick time event at a funeral service. Widely mocked by critics and players due to its forced element of interactivity that was not perceived to be tastefully executed, the phrase would later become a notable Internet meme in its own right. It is sometimes used by Internet commenters to convey solidarity and sympathy, either sarcastic or sincere, in response to unfortunate events https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_F_to_pay_respects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_F_to_pay_respects
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- helloSirMan 3y agoA living legend, now a legend. I met him - his laugh was huge and contagious.