Liepmann, Hans W., National Medal of Technology, 1993, National Medal of Science, 1986
The transistor, discoveries in genetics, his immigrant impressions of America
"I came to this country sixty years ago and I most certainly would like to
preserve the qualities that struck me at the time as so different from the narrowness and pettiness of the Europe where I came from: The natural friendliness and openness combined with a natural pragmatic approach to life of the Americans I met on my long train ride to California made a deep and lasting impression on me...I hope for the survival of a sufficient number of role models to pass these virtues on.
"As the most important technical contributions of the century, I would
without hesitation name the invetion of the transistor that made not only
the computer and the whole information revolution possible as well as
space exploration and the landing on the moon...
"The discovery of the double helix and the subsequent genetic
exploration is certainly the most important-and dangerous- development in biology.
"For the future, I hope for a stabilized or even reduced world
population without which all efforts to reduce environmental problems must
be futile and which I believe is the only hope to preserve humanity with dignity and in permanent possession of a beautiful planet!"
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