Chemist Wins Nobel For Catalyst Studies
German scientist Gerhard Ertl got the birthday present of his dreams yesterday: the Nobel Prize in chemistry.Ertl, who turned 71 yesterday, won the prestigious $1.5 million award for showing in unprecedented detail how molecules of gas behave when they land on solid surfaces — an esoteric specialty that has generated such practical benefits as cleaner-running cars, corrosion-proof metals, better computer chips and more fertile fields.
Very cool.
