[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 36 (Friday, March 12, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E369-E370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRATULATING WINNERS OF NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1069, 
congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded 
the 2009 Nobel Prize in physics. These two scientists invented the 
charge-coupled device, or CCD, while working at Bell Laboratories in 
Murray Hill, New Jersey. The development of

[[Page E370]]

the CCD was a breakthrough in electronic image sensing that led to 
today's digital cameras and other recording devices. CCDs are now 
integral components of modern laboratory instruments and medical 
sensors. The field of astronomy, in particular, benefitted from the 
invention of the CCD: the Hubble space telescope, the Kepler satellite, 
and other major astronomical instruments rely on CCDs for their 
spectacular images. Myself, I have used CCD detectors in physics 
research. I am deeply pleased that the Nobel Committee chose to reward 
these researchers' transformative contribution.
  It is worth noting that Drs. Boyle and Smith set out to create a new 
tool for electronic memory, not a new imaging device. The dramatic 
success of their design is a reminder that research and development is 
a non-linear process. New products often spring from unexpected 
discoveries or develop from innovations that were originally intended 
for a different purpose. That is why our future economic success is 
inextricably linked to a robust, sustained federal investment in basic 
scientific research and a true commitment to a healthy national 
innovation infrastructure.
  The creativity and inventiveness of Willard Boyle and George Smith 
were nurtured in the Bell Labs of the 1960s. That environment was 
responsible, in large part, for the seven Nobel Prizes that have been 
awarded for work carried out at Bell Labs over the years. The freedom 
to pursue science to unpredicted ends was a pillar of our research and 
development system for decades. Yet this opportunity is far too rare in 
today's public and private research institutions, and American 
competitiveness is not a given. A recent study by the Information 
Technology and Innovation Foundation ranked the United States last 
among forty nations and regions in terms of national improvement in 
international competitiveness and innovation capacity over the last 
decade.
  With that in mind, we should remember that a Nobel Prize is a lagging 
indicator of success. It can take decades for the importance of a 
scientific discovery to be fully understood. As we applaud Willard 
Boyle and George Smith, we should not forget that the work for which 
the Nobel Committee honored them in 2009 was completed 40 years 
earlier--in 1969. Perhaps the best tribute to their legacy--and the 
best way to ensure our collective success--is to make certain that the 
scientists and researchers working today in our universities and 
laboratories have the resources they need today to bring home the Nobel 
Prizes of 2050.

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