Remembering the scientist who made laptops, smartphones and electric cars possible.

Added: 2026-06-06

[00:00:02]Modern society has become dependent upon energy.

[00:00:06]We have to learn to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels so that we can be sustained by the energy from the sun. But you need to be able to store it. And the battery is one of the best ways to store electric power efficiently.

[00:00:29]I knew I didn't have the basic talents to be the world's best theoretical physicist, but at the same time, I thought physics was what I needed to do to take the next step in life.

[00:00:43]Well, I went quite late to science. I was in my 50s when we developed an idea for a different kind of battery film.

[00:00:53]Retirement never crossed my mind. My wife was very happy for me to continue to work. We never had to discuss it. So I continue.

[00:01:05]I want to help society, modern society become independent of fossil fuels.

[00:01:12]It's hard. A lot of people have been trying and they haven't succeeded.

[00:01:17]I probably spent too much time at my work and not enough time with my wife.

[00:01:23]The whole field has been frustrated for 20 years.

[00:01:28]Not everything works as soon as you put your fingers on it. No, I mean, I'm just one more simple human being trying to do his job.

[00:01:43]My wife got Alzheimer's and it's a very difficult disease to watch somebody you care for struggle when they lose the abilities they used to have. The last year and a half to two years I I had to put her in a nursing home because I just couldn't handle it anymore. But I had supper with her every every night. So we continued companionship until the very end.

[00:02:16]What gives life meaning? And I believe the meaning for life is what we serve.

[00:02:22]And we have to choose very carefully what it is we choose to serve in life because that will determine what we become.

[00:02:35]The university is open 5 days a week. I go 5 days a week and then I usually work one one day on the weekend. I try to work Saturday at home. I'm a little bit of Sunday as well.

[00:02:48]Until we solve the problem of helping modern society reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, there's work to be done.

[00:02:58]You can't think like everybody else thinks. You have to stop and ask.

[00:03:04]All right? Then you may get a happy surprise.

[00:03:11]You've got to find a way to get around the problems of the present lithium ion battery. And I'm hoping we've just been able to find a solution to that.

[00:03:24]We have a safe all solid state cell of high energy density that is very cheap to make.

[00:03:37]There is to be a conference in Canada.

[00:03:39]>> Good morning everybody.

[00:03:41]>> And I intend to disclose what we're doing at that conference.

[00:03:54]Just like the lithium-ion battery gave you the wireless revolution, we will now have a the ability to store energy at a big enough volume and at a low enough cost that it can compete with oil. I think it'll be transformational.