#165 William Shockley (Creator of the Electronic Age)

I believe that William Shockley was one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century. He led the group at Bell Labs that created the seminal invention of the modern world. The transistor. Every home has thousands or even millions of transistors. World commerce totally depends on them.

As do healthcare. Culture. Defense. Transportation. And civilization in general.

He was a key player in the development of the modern science of operations research. During the Second World War, he used statistics to show the Air Corps how to maximize its bombing efficiency and the Navy how to destroy more U boats. His efforts won the National Medal of Merit. the high possible civilian decoration. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

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