Joseph Jacobson
Encyclopedia
Joseph Jacobson, a native and resident of Newton, Massachusetts
, is a tenured professor and head of the Molecular Machines group at the Center for Bits and Atoms at the MIT Media Lab
. He is the founder of several companies including E Ink Corporation
, Codon Devices, Inc., and Kovio, is on the scientific board of several more companies (such as Epitome Biosystems), and is one of the most prolific inventors of the day.
Jacobson received his bachelors in physics from Brown University
, his Ph.D. in Physics
from MIT, and did his post-doc at Stanford University
in experimental and theoretical nonlinear non-local quantum systems. While at Stanford, he set the world record for the shortest pulse ever generated by a laser (in optical cycles).
In 1999, MIT's Technology Review named Jacobson as one of the TR100
, one of the most influential inventors under the age of 35. He invented nanoparticle
–based ink that can print on a flexible computer processor using an inkjet printer. He received the 2000 Gutenberg prize. In 2001, he received a Discovery magazine award for technological innovation. In 2002, he received a National Inventors Hall of Fame Collegiate Inventors Award. His research has been the topic of over 250 newspaper and magazine articles.
Besides for his own research, Jacobson is a master teacher. Jacobson's protege, Brian Hubert, recipient of the 2001 Lemelson-MIT student prize for excellence in invention and innovation, commented "Without a doubt, most of my best and technically innovative designs have come about in the time since I met Joe Jacobson"
A major theme underlying Jacobson's research is (in his own words) to carry "out research that has the potential to have a positive impact on people's lives" and "to create an optimally interesting world".
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, is a tenured professor and head of the Molecular Machines group at the Center for Bits and Atoms at the MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a laboratory of MIT School of Architecture and Planning. Devoted to research projects at the convergence of design, multimedia and technology, the Media Lab has been widely popularized since the 1990s by business and technology publications such as Wired and Red Herring for a...
. He is the founder of several companies including E Ink Corporation
E Ink Corporation
E Ink Corporation is a privately held manufacturer of electrophoretic displays , a kind of electronic paper. E Ink is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was co-founded in 1997 by Joseph Jacobson, a professor in the MIT Media Lab. Two years later, E Ink partnered with Philips to develop and...
, Codon Devices, Inc., and Kovio, is on the scientific board of several more companies (such as Epitome Biosystems), and is one of the most prolific inventors of the day.
Jacobson received his bachelors in physics from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, his Ph.D. in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from MIT, and did his post-doc at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in experimental and theoretical nonlinear non-local quantum systems. While at Stanford, he set the world record for the shortest pulse ever generated by a laser (in optical cycles).
In 1999, MIT's Technology Review named Jacobson as one of the TR100
TR35
The TR35 is an annual list published by MIT Technology Review magazine, naming the world's top 35 innovators under the age of 35.Some of the most famous winners of the award include Larry Page and Sergey Brin , Linus Torvalds , Jerry Yang , Jonathan Ive , Mark Zuckerberg...
, one of the most influential inventors under the age of 35. He invented nanoparticle
Nanoparticle
In nanotechnology, a particle is defined as a small object that behaves as a whole unit in terms of its transport and properties. Particles are further classified according to size : in terms of diameter, coarse particles cover a range between 10,000 and 2,500 nanometers. Fine particles are sized...
–based ink that can print on a flexible computer processor using an inkjet printer. He received the 2000 Gutenberg prize. In 2001, he received a Discovery magazine award for technological innovation. In 2002, he received a National Inventors Hall of Fame Collegiate Inventors Award. His research has been the topic of over 250 newspaper and magazine articles.
Besides for his own research, Jacobson is a master teacher. Jacobson's protege, Brian Hubert, recipient of the 2001 Lemelson-MIT student prize for excellence in invention and innovation, commented "Without a doubt, most of my best and technically innovative designs have come about in the time since I met Joe Jacobson"
A major theme underlying Jacobson's research is (in his own words) to carry "out research that has the potential to have a positive impact on people's lives" and "to create an optimally interesting world".